


Bangs and Whimpers

by orphan_account



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Challenges with children of all ages, Drabbles, F/M, Good people doing bad things, Life-Threatening Injuries, Parental Guilt, Season 6 Fix-It, ambivalence about motherhood, arrow season 6, bad choices due to families, bad choices due to friendships, elder care, filial guilt, implied future post-partum depression, implied time travel of a sort, spec fics, traditional drabbles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2018-12-08 02:09:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 81
Words: 18,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11636754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Oliver thinks everyone but Slade and William died on Lian Yu. He is wrong.Traditional drabbles (100 words, no more, no less) involving speculation about Arrow season 6. Not related to actual spoilers (except for the ComicCon trailer).This fic is entirely free of Nazis and has only passing references to Black Siren. There's a wedding, but it's entirely consensual (if rather chaotic). Felicity has a story. Diggle has an implied story, which I wish that I had fleshed out more.I wish that Season 6 went like this, rather than what we've gotten.





	1. All Gone (Oliver POV)

**Author's Note:**

> A note on traditional, 100-word drabbles: I enjoy writing in a strict form like this. It forces me to choose my words carefully, and to try to get as much description and characterization as possible out of every word. I realize that these are short. That's the point. If I wanted to write a longer fic, I wouldn't write traditional drabbles.

"You're sure this was the last place where you saw them?" Oliver looked around at the scorched ground. Flames still licked a few of the trees.

"Sure as I've been about anything," Slade replied. "They're gone, kid."

Oliver couldn't believe it... wouldn't believe it. But William was there at the edge of the clearing, and he lifted something. The remnant of a single shoe.

"My mom has shoes like this," he said.

Oliver knelt in front of him, wondering what to say.

"This island is no place to be a father, kid," Slade said. "You need to take him home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not currently watching Arrow Season 6. (First, because it isn't actually going to give Felicity a story with any emotional depth or consistency. Second, because one of the Arrowverse showrunners is a sexual harasser.)
> 
> Also, I partly blame the Olicity fandom for awfulness that has been Season 6. You got everything you wanted. It does not include a decent story for Felicity, or for Diggle. It includes far more Black Siren than anyone should ever have to endure. So... thanks for refusing to support Felicity's story during Season 5. We needed you to stand firm against the barrage of nastiness from the comic fans. And you failed.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the dumpster fire that you're left with.
> 
> The fandom (collectively) has a lot of kinks that are major squicks for me:
> 
> \- Limited choice or consent (the boss and secretary are forced to share a bed; Oliver and Felicity are forced to deal with an unexpected child, whether through unintended pregnancy or some other situation that dumps parenthood on them - and that's before we get into arranged marriages, sex pollen, alpha-omega stories, soulmates...).
> 
> \- Women-as-possessions ("he claimed her" as a euphemism for sex; Oliver growling "mine" during sex; Oliver being turned on by seeing Felicity in his clothes; excitement about Felicity changing her name to "Queen" - because traditional weddings are a ceremony that transfers ownership of a woman from her father to her husband).
> 
> \- Women as weaker/helpless/stereotypical gender differences (damsel-in-distress fantasies, wanting Oliver to pursue Felicity, wanting Felicity to discover that she can't be self-sufficient and needs Oliver somehow, being turned on by the height difference).
> 
> So the fandom squicks me, and the show's writers have blown the chance that I gave them. Here is a rather crappy imagination of what could have been, if they actually considered mothers and sisters and female friends and unpleasant women to be interesting characters.


	2. Survive (Felicity POV)

"This would be a really good time to find some of Oliver's magic herbs," Felicity said.

John tried to pull himself up.

"Don't try to hold anything with that hand!" Felicity said. "It must hurt!"

"It doesn't," John said. "These are third-degree burns. And we need to get off the island before they end up infected."

A boat motor faded into the distance.

"Crap," Felicity said. "I don't know about you, but I don't think I could survive here for five years."

"Which is why you need me."

Felicity stared at Talia, and wished John could still hold a gun.


	3. Beyond Nothing (Oliver POV)

_I'm stranded in Star City_ , Oliver thought, and  _my only friend is named Wilson_.

Not technically true, Oliver knew. Dinah had repelled the flames, somehow, with her cry. Curtis had a long explanation for what had happened. Felicity would have appreciated it. 

But the others had been separated when Black Siren attacked them. Quentin distracted her, Rene went back for him, and the others... ran a different way.

_How many more people can Oliver Queen lose before there is no more Oliver Queen?_

Oliver sighed, setting his shoulders, ready for the next battle – with the boy inside his apartment door.


	4. Leechcraft (Felicity POV)

"He should be in a hospital," Felicity said. "With serious painkillers. And sterile... sharp things."

"Humans have faced pain for millenia without _modern medicine_ ," Talia replied.

"With what, leeches and amputations?" Felicity argued.

"It's infected," John said. "The arm needs to come off."

"These are not leeches," Talia said. "The League has done surgery like this for centuries."

"You used a magic hot tub," Felicity grumbled.

"You may leave if you plan to continue to be disruptive," Talia said. "Or if you do not have the stomach for this."

Felicity stayed. Though holding John's hand wasn't possible, under the circumstances.


	5. Survive, Redux (Thea POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jump back in time to the island exploding, to see what happens to Thea...

"Samantha. Stop!" Thea grabbed her arm and yanked her behind a rock, then pushed her for good measure.

"I need to save William," Samantha said. "You don't understand. He's my son."

"Look," Thea said. "My mother chose to be killed by a madman to protect my brother and I. My father just saved us by getting _blown to bits_ by a _landmine_."

"So you understand," Samantha said.

"Yes," Thea said. "But you don't. Look. If William's dead, you can't do anything. But if he's alive... Lots of parents would die for their kids. I think you should live, for yours."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I realize that Samantha is probably dead. But I would much rather have her appear, alive, later in the season. Partly to save the audience from years of angry teenager plots, but also because Arrow seems to have even more dead parents than undead Lances.


	6. Remote Sensing (Oliver POV)

"The Director of ARGUS is here to see you, sir." Oliver's assistant stepped aside, allowing Lyla to enter the office.

"Lyla," Oliver said. "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you..."

"I understand. You're new to the single parent thing." She turned and closed the door behind her. "As you know, we've been monitoring Lian Yu." 

Oliver sucked in a breath. "It's an ARGUS asset."

"It is," Lyla agreed. "We've been mapping the island with LiDAR, trying to find out what's still there. But we also have been mapping heat signatures." She paused. "Oliver, the analysts think someone is alive there."


	7. Ashes (Oliver POV)

"How did you survive? What did you eat?"

"Curtis," Dinah reprimanded him, "Just give Rene the blanket."

"I think Black Siren was trying to save Quentin. But her scream missed, and she saved me instead." Rene wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. "And I ate bugs. Plus some old canned stuff."

"We should bring Quentin's body home," Oliver said heavily. "Did you bury it?"

Rene shook his head. "I couldn't find it, after the fires finished burning."

Oliver leaned down and scooped some ashes. _Rene's daughter will be happy to see him_ , Oliver reminded himself, trying not to be disappointed.


	8. Previously... (Felicity POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These four drabbles take place about a month before Oliver returns to the island and finds Rene.

Felicity had been fortunate that Paul Holt had been her physical therapist, she thought, watching John work with Talia.

John finally stopped and leaned, left-handed, on his bamboo stick. "I can still feel the other hand."

"It is a ghost," Talia said. "And like all ghosts, it can be a horror, or an inspiration." She whirled and knocked the stick out from beneath him.

John fell to his knees and then struggled, one-handed, to his feet. "An inspiration for what?" he asked.

"That is for you to decide," Talia said. "Will you continue assisting the man who left you here?"

*

"Are you keeping us here for a reason?" Felicity asked. "Or is this just your idea of fun?"

"You are free to leave your friend any time you like," Talia said. "If you are clever enough to manage it."

"Oliver was trapped here for _years_ ," Felicity fumed.

"Oliver left the island three times, twice by choice," Talia said. "Didn't he tell you? Or was that another of his secrets?"

Felicity stomped away into the woods. Not actually leaving. Just getting air.

She had only gone five hundred yards when she saw the plane. The shiny, white, totally not crashed plane.

*

Felicity dragged John through the woods by his remaining arm. "So. Is it our lucky day? Or is it a trap?"

John walked around the plane once. "I've never seen anything like this before."  
  
"So it isn't a secret ARGUS experiment," Felicity said. "But is it a trap?"

"Probably," John said.

Felicity sighed. "I was afraid of that."

Something inside the plane started to hum. John walked towards it.

"Wait. What are you doing?" Felicity asked.

"It may be a trap. But it may be my only chance to see Lyla and JJ again before my son starts to drive."

*

The plane took off.

"Don't these need runways?" Felicity frowned at the empty compartment in front of them. "Or, you know. Pilots?"

"Drones don't have pilots," John responded. "At least, not in the plane."

"But isn't this big for a drone? I thought drones just delivered packages for Amazon. Well, and missiles."

"Maybe we're the package," John said.

"Yes, but who ordered us?" Felicity asked. "This isn't Oliver's work."

"Or Lyla's," John agreed. 

Turbulence rocked the plane, and Felicity stumbled against the console. 

"Hello, Ms. Smoak," an electronic voice said. "I'm glad you and Mr. Diggle decided to come aboard."


	9. Previously, Redux (Thea POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Months in the past... closer to 5.23 than to the rescue of Rene.

Thea was outside the cave, looking for berries or roots or anything, really, when she heard a scream from Samantha.

"There are bones in there," Samantha said, pointing.

Thea crawled back into the cave. There weren't just bones – the remnants of an ancient fire filled a hollow in the cave's floor.

"The good news is that someone found something edible on this island," Thea said. "It's... a bird, or something."

Samantha just shook her head.

Thea shrugged back. "The only thing I know about bones is how to break them," she said. "Pain, I can do. Food? Not so much."

*

 

Thea and Samantha were down on the beach, looking for fish or something, when they heard the boat.

" _Thank_ you," Thea said, when they were pulled aboard and shown to the man in charge, the man in the suit. The others were weatherbeaten, bearded, and spoke no English.

"It is good to meet Oliver's family," the man said. "He was a brother to me, as well."

"So you'll take us home?" Samantha asked.

He clicked his tongue at them. "Is not the time," Anatoly said. "I'm sure Oliver's sister understands. Leverage must be applied correctly or nothing will move. Da?"


	10. Like Father... (Oliver POV)

"What's a _fidget spinner_?" Oliver asked, looking at the note that Raisa had handed him.

"It is just a toy, Mr. Oliver," Raisa replied, handing a three-pronged object to him. "I bought it for William when he helped me with the shopping. I did not know they were such trouble."

Oliver hefted it in his hand. "They suspended William for having this?"

"They are... _distractions_ , they said at the school," Raisa said.

Oliver read through the note again. "I still don't understand how this could put someone in the hospital."

"William is a good boy," Raisa said. "Like his father."

*

William slumped on the couch, staring at his phone. Oliver sat awkwardly in the armchair, note in one hand and fidget spinner in the other.

"So you were suspended from school," Oliver started, hesitantly. Sharing stories of his mis-spent youth didn't seem like a good opening.

William shrugged. "Raisa was ok with it."

Oliver swallowed his first three responses. "I think you should tell me what happened," he finally said.

"The guy was a bully." William looked up at last. "And he deserved it." He sat silently, as if waiting for an explosion.

"I'll talk to the principal," Oliver said.


	11. Closure? (Oliver POV)

"Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice," Oliver said.

"Actually, I had hoped you would come by sooner," the principal replied. 

"I've been traveling," Oliver said. "City business."

"I understand." The principal gave him a careful look. "But you probably want to talk about William's suspension. He's been having a tough time here. His teachers and I think that he should spend some time with the school counselor."

Oliver considered responding, but didn't.

"And I understand that there hasn't been a funeral for his mother," she added. "You should have one. It might give him some closure."

*

"You can go back to school," Oliver told William. "But they're changing your schedule. You need to meet with the counselor."

"The counselor?" William frowned. "I thought you were talking to the principal about the bully."

"I'm sure she talked to his parents," Oliver said.

"That won't help," William grumbled. "Do you know what his father said at the last soccer game?"

"I don't..."

"He said _the mayor is good at collecting the garbage_." William scowled. "Not about me. About Zoe Ramirez."

"That's terrible," Oliver said, "but I can't do anything about it."

"Then what's the point of being HIM?"

*

"So at least William has decided that you're not a villain any more," Dinah said. "That's good news. Right?"

"No," Oliver said. "William has decided that he should enforce vigilante justice in the sixth grade."

"But you could call him the _Orange Fidget Spinner_ ," Curtis said. "You know, going with the _Color... Weapon_ family theme?"

The others shook their heads.

"That's not why I told you all this," Oliver said. "Rene. They're targeting your daughter."

"You want _me_ to be a vigilante for sixth graders?" Rene asked.

"No," Oliver said. "I think you should try again to get Zoe back."

*

"Not so sure about that, boss," Rene said. "First I missed the hearing. Then I was gone for six months, no word or anything."

"I'll vouch for you," Oliver offered.

"And I'm not sure Zoe would want me back after all this time," Rene argued.

"It's better than twelve years," Oliver said. "And also... Quentin would have wanted it."

They were all silent for a moment.

"There's one more thing the principal said," Oliver finally continued. "She thinks a funeral would be good for William. To give him closure." He took a breath. "Maybe we all need that now, too."


	12. Arrangements (Oliver POV)

Oliver put down his office phone.

Quentin would have a formal SCPD funeral.

Lyla agreed that John deserved full military honors.

Walter would come back to Star City, to help with Thea's eulogy.

Samantha would be returned to Central City.

And Felicity...

Oliver had just talked to a local rabbi. Donna should be next, he knew. But all he could see was that clod of dirt that Felicity had tossed onto Sara's grave. He imagined holding the dirt in his own hand, but he couldn't let it go.

He covered his head with his hands, shoulders shuddering with unshed tears.


	13. Mechanization (Felicity POV)

The entire place was run by robots.

Robots bringing food, and robots bringing clothing. Robots with hair dye and manicures and loofahs - though fortunately, the last ones weren't humanoid. That would have been pretty creepy.

Of course, the entire place was creepy. Felicity realized that she might be starting to lose it when she told John that she missed Talia.

At least he had chuckled. But he didn't enjoy playing Go Fish one-handed, and even Felicity couldn't keep up a conversation entirely on her own.

"So now I'm talking to a robot," she said to the manicurist.

"Finally," it replied.

*

"So let me get this straight," John said. "The robot that paints your fingernails wants information about ARGUS."

"Yes," Felicity said. "It was fishing. Like the card game, kind of. It would ask something random, and then wait to see if I responded. _Do you have any satellites?_ And then I would say _No, I don't have any satellites._ And then it would thank me, like I gave it information."

"How did it learn things if you didn't say anything?"

"Like poker tells, or something?" Felicity suggested. "It was touching my hand at the time."

"Like a polygraph," John mused.


	14. Vigilantes (Oliver POV)

"So let me get this straight. Lyla Michaels hired you to work with Task Force X?"

" _Former mad terrorist_ doesn't look too good on a resume, kid," Slade said. "I didn't have many choices. At least she didn't put a bomb in my spinal column."

Oliver shook his head. "So what brings you back to Star City?" he asked. "I thought ARGUS only used that team overseas."

"Director Michaels has her eye on one of your troublemakers," Slade said. "Calls himself Vigilante."

"I've met him," Oliver said.

"Yes. And the Director would like your help bringing him in. Alive, preferably."

*

"Thanks for the push, boss," Rene said. "I got Zoe back."

"I know," Oliver said. "William said you were at the soccer game."

"Want some food?" Rene asked. "I got extra."

"Don't change the subject," Oliver growled. "Did you actually punch a parent at the soccer game?"

"He deserved it," Rene said.

Oliver shook his head. "Rene," he warned. "You can't go starting fights with other parents. You just got her back."

"William said that you would say something like that," Rene said. "Gave me a fist bump, too."

Oliver just laced his hands around his neck and paced away.

*

"Tell me you didn't call us in just to watch you chew out Rene for being a bad soccer parent," Curtis said.

"I thought you were still living alone, Curtis?" Dinah asked.

"He is," Rene said. "He's got the entire self-help section checked out of the library. Like that will bring Paul back."

Oliver ignored them. "ARGUS wants help," he said. "Lyla's interested in Vigilante."

"We haven't had much luck with him so far," Dinah commented. "What makes you think things will change now?"

"I don't," Oliver said. "But Lyla's hired Slade Wilson. She thinks he's the help we've needed."


	15. Next of Kin (Oliver POV)

Oliver carried another box down the loft stairs.

Donna stood beside the table, slowly wrapping photos in bubble wrap.

Oliver walked over and looked at the picture. Donna was leaning in to kiss an embarrassed Felicity on the cheek. His throat tightened.

"I'm sorry," he started. "If she hadn't met me..."

"If she hadn't met you, she wouldn't have experienced the happiest moments of her life," Donna finished.

Oliver was skeptical.

"The last time she called me... she had had trouble with her chip, but that's not why she called. She was... hopeful."

Oliver turned away, and swallowed another sigh.

* 

Oliver crossed three more items off of his list. Raisa would take William to buy a black suit after school. Dinah had met a guy over drinks who happened to play cornet in the Army reserve band. And Barry's friends promised to help find phone numbers for Samantha's old book club in Central City. 

Dinah knocked on the mayor's office door. "You've got a visitor." She paused. "I think you'll want to see him."

Oliver pushed his list aside and nodded to her. "Send him in."

Dinah nodded and waved the man in.

"Hello," he said. "I'm John Diggle's father."

*

It was a long drive to Central City. William couldn't leave until after school, so they drove into the night. 

"Stop," William said suddenly. "Did you see that? In the sky." He paused. "There's another one."

They got out of the car and sat on the hood, watching the meteor shower.

"My father said that you could make a wish on a shooting star," Oliver said.

"I wish my mother would come back," William whispered.

"Me, too," Oliver said.

But he didn't tell William his deepest wish.

 _If you really want a wish to come true, you don't tell anyone_.


	16. There's No Place Like Home (Felicity POV)

The manicurist was not the only chatty robot, it turned out. The one that brought food – a waiter-bot? – started asking friendly questions about coding. The one that brought clothes was curious about how her facial recognition algorithms worked. The one with loofahs was interested in gadgets.

Finally, Felicity started sending them away. She could paint her own nails, thank you. Because someone was behind this little mechanized team, and whoever it was wanted information.

But the robot that brought the coffee managed to catch her off guard.

"You are not very cooperative," it said. "Don't you want to go home?"

*

There were voices coming from the physical therapy room. _One_ wouldn't have been surprising - John had to give verbal commands to the robots, especially to the one doing electrical stimulation on the swelling in the remnants of his arm. But this sounded like a conversation.

Felicity stuck her head into the room. "Is everything ok, John?"

He looked up at her sharply. The electrodes on his arm hummed. "Everything's fine, Felicity," he said. "I'll call you when I need help getting these off."

Felicity nodded and closed the door. But as she left, she thought she heard voices again.

*

There was a tablet sitting on the table.

Whoever was in charge of this place had a good handle on her addictions. Coffee. Lavender bath gel. Mint chip ice cream.

But until now, there had been no Internet. Their phones were long gone, her tablet had been destroyed on the island, and although someone must have controlled the robots, there was no sign of a computer.

The tablet sat there.

Felicity stared at it. No wi-fi. But a window was open, to a page of the _Star City Sentinel_ with a funeral schedule.

Quentin's, and Diggle's, and Thea's. And hers.

*

"We need to get home," John said, pointing to the article. " _Full military honors_ includes presenting a flag to the next of kin. It was tough enough on my father when we lost Andy. I don't know if he could take this."

"So what do we do?" Felicity asked. "It's not like we can just walk out the door and hot-wire that plane."

But that was exactly what they did.

"So I hacked a drone-plane thing," Felicity said, staring at the screen. "And it seems to be going to Star City. But who's controlling it?"

John looked out the window, silent.


	17. Closure (Oliver POV)

"Nice speech," Oliver said.

"Yours too," Rene replied. "I had no idea Quentin arrested you so many times."

"It was hard to keep count." Oliver's smile was still shaky. "I should talk to the rest of the police department."

"I'll check on the kids," Rene said.

William and Zoe were off to the side, heads bent over some joint project. They lifted their hands...

...and Oliver snagged a paper throwing star before it hit the police chief.

"Wonder what Quentin would say about this?" Rene asked.

"He'd probably warn you about letting your daughter talk to my son," Oliver admitted.

*

John's father stood alone, holding the folded flag. He was a big man, starting to shrink with age, and stood stiffly even after the rest of the crowd relaxed.

Oliver left William with Raisa and went to pay his respects.

"Captain Diggle," he said, remembering Lyla's instructions about ranks and addresses, "I'm Oliver Queen. I had the pleasure of working with your son for five years." He paused. "John was one of the best men that I've ever known. I'm sorry for your loss."

Captain Diggle nodded. "John said he worked for you," he said. "Is that how he died?"

*

Oliver had been ten when Thea was born.

His mother had lain in the hospital bed, exhausted but elegant. The nurse made Oliver sit quietly in a chair and handed him the tiny bundle wrapped in a striped blanket. A red, squishy face with a mess of dark hair peeked out, and for a moment, her eyes opened.

"Meet your sister," his father had said. "Take care of her."

There was no bundle this time, no body to carry to the League of Assassins. Only an empty coffin, and ashes, and a blank spot where his sister should have been.

*

Given how many ghosts had haunted Oliver over the years, he should have expected this.

It was still a shock.

He had lain awake, trying to choose his words. But then he stood in front of the crowd, and there she was, on the hill behind them all, slight and blonde and wearing _that_ shade of red. And the words vanished.

"Felicity," he whispered.

But then Donna turned, and gasped, as if she could see the ghost, too. And the entire crowd started flowing towards her.

Oliver stood for a moment, and then, ever so slowly, began to follow them.


	18. So Is This How Zombies Feel? (Felicity POV)

There were so many people.

For months, Felicity's world had consisted of John Diggle and a bunch of robots. And that was it.

But now...

She should be happy that so many people had come to her funeral. In a weird kind of way. Unless they were just spectators, like the people who stare at car wrecks. Is that why they were there?

But then her mother threw her arms around her, whispering _my baby, you're back, oh my baby girl_.

And then Oliver was there, putting his solid body between her and the crowd. And everything was instantly better.

*

"Speaking as the city's foremost expert in returning from a deserted island..." Oliver said. The crowd chuckled. Felicity had forgotten just how good he was at working a crowd. "Please, give her some space. We'll answer questions later."

He gave her a look that was full of _everything_ , one of those looks that she had loved and then feared and then loved again, and moved away to talk quietly with the rabbi.

A boy stood in the space that Oliver had vacated. William. He was so much taller than Felicity remembered.

"My mother..." he said. "Samantha. Is she alive, too?"

*

Felicity shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said as William's face twisted in an attempt to avoid crying. Oh, wow, he was really starting to look like Oliver. "I don't know what happened to Samantha."

Wait. That reminded her of something...

"Lyla," she called.

There she was. JJ was getting big, too. And who was she standing with... was that Slade Wilson? What the hell?

"Lyla," she called. "John was with me. On the island. And after. I mean, he's alive, and he came home, too. But John was worried about his father, so he went straight to find him."


	19. Team Family Carpool (Oliver POV)

Felicity was alive.

And John was alive, too.

Oliver wandered the crowd, thanking people for coming, promising to share news later, after Felicity had some time to herself and with a doctor. And yes, he did know exactly what an official-return-from-the-dead checklist involved, didn't he.

He plastered on his Mayor's smile and continued until the crowd had dispersed and he could return to Felicity, still wrapped in her mother's arms.

But Lyla reached him first, looking worried. "I just got a call from John, from the back of an ambulance," she said. "They're taking his father to the emergency room."

***

"I need to get to the hospital, now," Lyla said. "John's father has had two heart attacks already – he missed our wedding because he was getting an emergency stent."

Oliver nodded. "Can I help?"

Lyla shook her head, then changed her mind. "Actually, do you think Raisa could watch JJ?"

"Sure," Oliver said.

"John thought this might happen, as soon as he saw the news," Felicity said, peeling herself away from her mother. "That's why we came back."

"You had a choice?" Rene asked.

Felicity looked at her mother, who was cooing over JJ. "Could we talk about this later?"

***

Felicity wanted to tell her story to the team, in private. But getting to the bunker was complicated.

"I have the van," Felicity said. "We landed the drone on the bunker's roof."

"Drone?" Curtis asked.

"Dinah, could you get Raisa and the kids to my apartment?" Oliver asked. "Curtis, you can get Felicity's mom back to your place, right? And Rene, you can leave Zoe with Raisa while we meet. And then I can ride with Felicity in the van." He looked at her. "If that's all right."

Felicity looked overwhelmed. "When did Team Arrow turn into Team Family Carpool?"


	20. De-Briefing (Etc.) (Felicity POV)

Felicity stared out the window at the streets of Star City.

"The city is looking good. Peaceful. Safe." She looked at Oliver. "Nice work."

"Thanks," he said.

They drove in silence for a block.

"I'm glad that you found William," Felicity said.

"Me, too." Oliver glanced at her. "Felicity..." He paused, searching for words. "I'm glad you're alive."

She could taste the tears through her smile. "Me, too." She hesitated a moment. "Stop the car."

"Why?" Oliver was suddenly alert, reaching for a weapon.

"Nothing," she said. "Well, not nothing."

And then she pulled his face down into a kiss.

***

"There you two are," Rene said. "Didn't realize it would take more time to drive straight here than to drop off the kids."

"You guys were making out, weren't you," Curtis said. He looked at Dinah and Rene. "I told you. They were totally making out."

Oliver and Felicity looked guilty.

"I never said they weren't making out," Rene said. "I just said they probably stopped to buy condoms, too."

"I thought we should suit up, in case Black Siren had attacked them," Dinah said.

Felicity just tucked her hair back into her ponytail, and prepared to tell her story.

***

The team took turns reviewing the explosion. Samantha's insistence on looking for William. Slade's frustration with arguing instead of action. John's anger when Slade abandoned them. The attack from Black Siren that left them scattered. And then, the flames.

"Third degree burns," Dinah said. "I can't believe he survived for months on the island after that."

"He probably wouldn't have, if we'd been alone," Felicity admitted. "But Talia found us."

"Talia?" Oliver frowned. "What did she want from you?"

"I don't know, but she saved John's life," Felicity admitted. "Though it was really creepy when she cut off his arm."

***

Felicity wasn't sure which part of her story got the strongest reaction. Everyone was worried about John, of course. But Oliver seemed equally concerned with the appearance of the pilot-less plane, when they escaped from Talia and from the robots.

"The plane just flew itself... here?" Oliver frowned.

"You can say it," Felicity said. "Someone let us go."

Oliver shrugged helplessly. "It's not that I don't trust you to hack a plane..."

"I know," Felicity said. "It's suspicious. But getting home was more important."

"Guys..." Curtis broke in. "If there's a self-flying plane on the roof... can I see it?"

***

The plane was gone.

Dinah walked around the roof, looking at the way the dead leaves had settled. "It's been gone a while," she said. "Looks like it dropped off Felicity and John, and then left."

"I'll ask Lyla if ARGUS noticed it," Oliver said. "Felicity, do you have any idea who was holding you?"

"None," she said. "But they asked about ARGUS satellites, Palmer Tech batteries, facial recognition software..."

Rene was off to the side, on his phone. "Sorry to break up the geek-out," he called, "but Zoe just called and said that William locked himself in his room."


	21. Not Tonight (Oliver POV)

"I knew the Green Arrow would be able to break in," William said from his perch on the fire escape.

Oliver climbed out the window and settled beside him. "He didn't need to," he confessed. "There's a key on top of the door frame."

They stared at the lights of the city for a while in silence.

"Did my mother ever sit outside and watch the lights like this?" William finally asked. "When she lived in Star City, I mean."

"I don't know," Oliver said. "But my friend Tommy used to." Oliver paused. "Have I ever told you about Tommy?"

***

Oliver's phone rang. "Hi, Donna. How's Felicity doing?"

"She borrowed her mother's phone to call you," Felicity answered. "How's William?"

"Sad," Oliver admitted.

Felicity paused. "It's hard," she said. "Being sad, when everyone else is happy."

"Yes," he agreed. "That's what's going on. I think."

"He's lucky to have you," she said.

Oliver laughed. "I love you," he said. And then fell silent for a moment. "Sorry. Too soon?"

Felicity's phone was silent for a moment. "No," she said. "Not too soon."

Oliver sucked in a breath. "Would you like to come by, tonight?"

"Not tonight," Felicity said. "But soon."


	22. Plans (Felicity POV)

"Have you talked to Lyla?" Felicity asked. "How is John? And his father?"

"John's father is stable, but they're keeping him overnight," Oliver replied. "And the doctor told Lyla that John's arm healed remarkably well, under the circumstances." The phone was silent for a moment. "I don't know how much Lyla knows."

"John will tell her," Felicity said. "He was so determined to get back to her and JJ." She paused. "Are you going over to check on them?"

"Lyla said not to," Oliver said. "John's father wasn't very happy with me, at the funeral."

That wasn't surprising, Felicity thought.

***

Felicity had a plan for tomorrow.

Buy two new cell phones, one for her and one for John. (Seriously, being without a cell phone in the city felt like showing up naked for a meeting with the Palmer Tech board.)

Pick up JJ from Oliver's place. Drop the kid off with Lyla and John at the hospital.

Have lunch with her mother. Maybe a robot-free pedicure, too.

A few hours in the bunker, to see what kind of mess Curtis had made of her computers.

Meet Oliver at the Mayor's office after work. And then maybe dinner? Or talking? Or...?

***

Curtis picked up the spare bed from the storage room in the basement of the bunker. "Sorry," he said. "I've only got one guest room."

"I could go back to the loft," Felicity offered, looking at the bed. She remembered buying it, three and a half years ago. She wondered if it still smelled like Oliver, or if his muscles had left permanent impressions in the mattress.

"Oh, honey," Donna said. "I'm so sorry that we packed away all of your things. We can go through them tomorrow and unpack, if you like."

"Let's leave them, for now," Felicity replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This would be a really great time for people to stop reading this fic, if you didn't like Season 5. Because I'm planning to bring back a generally loathed character soon. I have a use for her.


	23. The Stories We Tell (Felicity POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I warned you... you can bail now...

JJ wasn't at Oliver's place when Felicity stopped by. But, surprisingly, Oliver was.

"Lyla picked him up early," Oliver said. "ARGUS needed her."

"JJ goes to ARGUS with Lyla?" Felicity blinked.

"There's a secure daycare there," Oliver said. "Lyla's idea. She wants agents to have lives, but she doesn't want ARGUS to be compromised."

"By kidnappings," Felicity finished. "That makes sense. But... you being home in the middle of the day doesn't."

"The school counselor called and asked me to bring William home," he said. "And lectured me about appropriate grieving."

"Should I ask?" Felicity hesitated.

"No," Oliver said wryly. 

*** 

"While you're here..." Oliver said.

Felicity looked hopeful. "Yes?"

"You and John were declared legally dead." Oliver looked apologetic. "Which means we need to get you legally declared alive."

"Right," Felicity said. "Which will be important if I want to vote."

"Or drive," Oliver pointed out. 

"Ok. So we need a court date?" Felicity asked.

"Yes," Oliver said. "And the press has been calling with questions already. We'll need to give them something."

"Fine," Felicity said. "So we hold a press conference. Or give a story to someone."

"I know a person who could help." Oliver looked guilty. "Susan Williams?"

***

"I know..." Oliver said. "But Susan was really helpful after I came back from Lian Yu." 

"I'm sure she was." Felicity's snark was unplanned.

"She wanted to testify against Adrian Chase – put him behind bars forever," Oliver said.

"I can relate," Felicity said.

"But Adrian killed himself," Oliver said. "So Susan wrote a fourteen-part expose about him. She said she was reclaiming her ' _agency_ ' after he made her play ' _damsel in distress_ I'."

Ok. Fine.

"It included a short piece about him kidnapping and murdering the mayor's friends and family." Oliver paused. "And nothing about the mayor being the Green Arrow."

*** 

"What makes you think Susan Williams would help _me_ , of all people?" Felicity asked.

"John, too," Oliver added. "I think she could help because she's already proven that she can keep information to herself."

"As she should," Felicity said.

"This would just continue the story she started," Oliver said.

"Which didn't include Adrian's vendetta against you," Felicity finished.

"Right," Oliver said. "She could give the public something, without including the parts that would raise more questions."

"Like Talia," Felicity said. "And the robots." 

"Exactly," Oliver said.

"I'll talk to John," Felicity said. "Though for the record, I don't like this." 

*** 

A one-armed hug from John Diggle was better than a two-armed hug from most other people, Felicity thought.

"I didn't realize that Lyla had to leave this morning," Felicity said. "I would have come earlier. Did you get to see JJ?"

"Lyla brought JJ by early, before she went to work," John said. "He didn't know who I was."

"Oh, no," Felicity said. "You wanted to see him so badly."

"It won't take long for him to know me again," John said. "The same thing happened last summer."

"Which is why you wanted to get back," Felicity remembered.

"Exactly."

***

"How's your dad doing?" Felicity asked.

"He's a tough man," John said. "Always has been."

Felicity nodded. Career military was like that. "And he went to college while you were little, right? That's how you got to spend time in Star City, instead of moving all the time?"

"Right," John said. "So my dad could become an officer." He shook his head. "He was never too happy with Andy and me, quitting the service to play bodyguard for rich white boys. Soon as he saw me, he reminded me of that."

"That's why Lyla told Oliver not to visit."

"Exactly."

***

"Oliver said they checked your arm," Felicity said.

"It's healing fine," John replied.

"What did you tell them?" Felicity asked. "I mean... leeches?"

"They didn't ask me much," John said. "Worst part was I couldn't sign anything."

"You can practice that," Felicity said. "You'll find there are a lot of things you can do."

"Is that you talking, or your PT?" John teased.

"Mostly Paul," Felicity admitted. "Which oddly reminds me of something I was supposed to ask you." She paused. "Oliver thinks we need to give the press a story. And he thinks Susan Williams is our best option."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, about Diggle and his father. It seems like his father could be in his mid-60s, which would have made him an adult after the Vietnam War ended, and then through the end of the Cold War until now. That time was weird - for example, during the 80s the Republicans simultaneously played up racism to shift the electoral balance (especially amongst white Southerners) and exalted the military, at the same time as the (now entirely volunteer) military was becoming more diverse. I don't think I could do justice to Diggle's family - I was a white, college-going liberal at the time, and I don't know the world of people who joined the Army. So if I mess up, feel free let me know, and I'll edit things (either without posting the comment, or with credit to you - your choice). (If I were a professional writer, it would be my responsibility to research the experience of black men in the US military in the 80s through present, but this is 100-character fanfic.)


	24. Dinner Time (Oliver POV)

Oliver was taking the frittata out of the oven when the doorbell rang.

"William?" he called. "Could you get that?" 

But the door opened on its own before William could emerge from his room.

"Hi," Felicity said. "Am I early?"

"Never," Oliver replied, setting the pan on a hot pad and stripping off his apron. "The food's ready. And William should be out here any moment."

On cue, William appeared.

"No." Oliver said, reading the offensive t-shirt. "Go change. Please."

"It's ok," Felicity said. "I mean, I get it. You should have seen me when my mom had boyfriends over."

*

"Fine," Oliver said. "William, could you carry the plates to the table?"

William took them, silently, and went into the other room.

"Can I help with anything?" Felicity started. 

Oliver cut her off with a kiss.

"Well," she said, "I'm willing to help with that. Always."

"Always?" Oliver asked softly, leaning in again.

But before they could go much further, there was a crash from the other room.

William walked back in. "The plates are broken," he said. "Do we have any more?"

Oliver gave him a long look.

"Maybe we should eat on paper," Felicity said brightly. "Less washing."

*

"Mmmmmm," Felicity moaned. "Oh, I'm so glad you didn't forget how to cook."

Oliver looked at her and thought that there were a lot of things that he hadn't forgotten. Felicity's eyes said that she remembered, far too well.

"What's this white stuff?" William asked.

"Feta cheese," Oliver replied.

"Ugh." William spat it out. "Are those red peppers?" 

"Yes," Oliver said. "And zucchini."

"What are these green things?" William poked it with his fork.

"Fresh thyme and oregano," Oliver said.

"I think I'm allergic to thyme," William grumbled.

"I hate clocks, too," Felicity joked. "You know. Time?"

William just glared.

*

"Could I come by City Hall tomorrow? We could go to lunch," Felicity said.

"It's a date," Oliver replied.

Felicity smiled, then shut the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Oliver spun around toward William. "What the hell was that?" he demanded. "What are you – six?"

"You didn't know me when I was six," William shot back.

"No," Oliver said. "I was on an island when you were six. The island where Felicity was. She doesn't need this."

"At least she came back," William replied.

Raisa would be back tomorrow, Oliver thought, while reminding himself to breathe.


	25. Interrogation (Felicity POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deliberately re-using a title from another of my fics. (Also, I'm deliberately incorporating Susan Williams into the story. I want to have women characters who are good and bad and everything in between; and I don't want romantic rivalries to be the primary source of tension between women. So: I plan to rehabilitate Susan in lots of different ways, in lots of different fics. If you read my stuff, expect to see her pop up everywhere. If you don't like her, don't read my stuff.)

Felicity hadn't noticed how much weight John had lost until she saw him wearing one of his 'bodyguard' suits. They sat in a City Hall conference room, waiting to tell a version of their story that would, hopefully, satisfy the press and let them get on with their lives.

John looked uncomfortable, fiddling with his empty sleeve. Felicity realized that, despite years in the public eye, John had always stood to the side, a comforting presence, but hidden even without a mask. Being the center of attention was as new as his missing arm.

The door opened, and Susan entered.

*

"I'll need to record this," Susan said, setting the mic on the table.

Felicity nodded.

"First, congratulations on being alive," Susan started. "How does it feel, to come back from the dead?"

Felicity glanced at John. "There's no place like home," she said with a shrug.

"I'm not going to ask you to relive the experience of being held captive by Adrian Chase." Her professional mask slipped for a second. "Nobody needs to relive that. But I know that Chase blew up the island, and other people survived, but you were presumed dead." She leaned in. "What happened to you?"

*

"We were separated from the others," Felicity started. "One of the bombs went off near us. The entire forest was on fire – trees crashing around us and everything."

"That sounds terrifying," Susan said. She turned to John. "Is that what happened to your arm?"

He nodded. "Third-degree burns."

"It looks like your arm was amputated," Susan said.

John nodded, but didn't say anything more.

"Did you have to do it yourself?" She glanced at Felicity. "Or did Felicity cut off your arm?"

Felicity deliberately didn't glance at John. _Maybe we should have prepared a cover story after all_ , she thought. 

*

"Palmer Tech was known for innovations in medical devices," Susan said to Felicity. "But according to your resume, you don't have a medical background."

Felicity's look shot daggers at her. "My resume?"

Susan shrugged. "I do my homework."

Felicity kept her mouth shut.

"Ok," Susan said after several moments, "how did you survive for so long?"

Felicity shrugged. 

"Rene Ramirez said he survived by eating bugs," Susan said. "But – pardon me if I'm being insensitive – losing an arm looks a lot worse. And yet you got off the island on your own."

"That island is a surprising place," Felicity said. 

* 

Susan turned off the recording. "Look," she said. "We all know that Oliver didn't actually survive for five years on that island."

John and Felicity just glared back at her.

Susan sighed. "Felicity, you're the former CEO of Palmer Tech. And you've come back from the dead after surviving the DA's killing spree."

"And John," she said, turning to him, "you escaped from a deserted island after amputating your arm. Those are huge stories. If you don't want me to tell them, fine. But the press won't let you go in peace – and they'll be less sympathetic than I am."

*

Susan stood to go. 

"Wait," said Felicity. "There's another story. Samantha Clayton didn't make it back. But she has a son, and she wanted him to live... and be happy."

Susan shook her head. "We've already told about Samantha's death. My editor didn't think a single mom from Central City was very compelling, even then." She stood to go. "If she suddenly comes back? That's a story. But _'mother loves her child'_ is like _'dog bites man'_."

"Please," Felicity said. 

Susan sighed. "I'll ask," she said. "But without more of a hook, I'm pretty sure that he will say 'no.'"


	26. Normal? (Oliver POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short. Setting up plot without a lot of movement. (But I've already got a copy of The Stone Sky by double-Hugo winner NK Jemisin. I've got reading to do. Wow, she writes such beautiful stuff with such great world-building.)

Oliver stepped off the elevator into a very active bunker.

"Hey, boss," called Rene. "Thanks for letting Zoe do her homework at your place tonight."

"William said that she's the reason he stayed in school today," Oliver replied. "And Raisa's been cooking enough for both of them."

"Zoe's going to teach me to make borscht," Rene said. "She's already better at speaking Russian than Curtis is."

"Not that it takes much," Dinah said from the mat.

"Hey..." Curtis said from where he was pinned to the floor. "I didn't have a real tutor."

"I'm sure Raisa would help," Oliver smiled.

* 

Felicity was sitting at her workstation.

Oliver stopped to smile as she twisted back and forth in her chair.

She smiled back up at him, then spun another time, with a flourish. "I've compiled a complete history of all the places where Vigilante has been seen in the past six months." She pulled up a map. "Usually he's seen in the middle of the night. But the early evening sightings all cluster around this neighborhood."

"You think that's where he lives?" Oliver asked.

"Or works, before he dresses up in his ski goggles," Felicity said. 

"I'll call Lyla," Oliver said.


	27. Yay, Diggle's Back in the Bunker (Oliver POV)

The elevator opened, and Diggle stepped out. He was immediately swarmed by Rene, Dinah, and Curtis.

Oliver held back for a moment. "It's good to see you, John," he said. "How's your father?"

"It's good to be back," John replied. "And my father was released from the hospital today. He's at our place with Lyla and JJ."

Felicity gave John a questioning look.

"He's still not pleased with my choices. I've got to go soon. Gotta keep my father from driving my wife crazy." John grinned. "But that means I'll be able to put JJ to bed. I've missed that."

*

"So what's new down here?" John asked.

"Seeing Oliver with a pre-teen is pretty entertaining," Rene said. "I've never seen him so flustered."

John chuckled. "More flustered than when you asked Felicity out?"

Oliver shrugged helplessly.

"As for the bad guys," Felicity said, "we're tracking Black Siren, who also made it off the island." She rolled her eyes. "And Vigilante's still around, too. But we've got a lead on him." 

The elevator door opened. John looked shocked, and tried to draw a non-existent gun with an empty sleeve.

"Hey, kid," Slade said. "I hear you've got a lead on Vigilante."

*

It didn't take long to update Slade and send him on his way. But when he was gone, John cornered Oliver, out of earshot of the others.

"What the hell was Slade Wilson doing here?" John asked. "He abandoned us on the island, Oliver. Abandoned William's mother. Abandoned Thea. Abandoned _Felicity_."

"I know," Oliver said. "And he regrets it. But we give people second chances here, John."

John shook his head. "I never thought I would see the day that _Slade Wilson_ would be on Team Arrow," he said.

"He's not on Team Arrow," Oliver said. "He's working for ARGUS."


	28. Not Just for Bird Cages (Oliver POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A journalist friend of mine makes jokes about the uses of newsPAPER in a digital world. Not a canary reference.

William had the newspaper already when Oliver came into the kitchen. It was a nice surprise – Oliver had subscribed to the paper version in the hope that William would at least read the comics. And there he was reading the news. 

But there was breakfast to be made – and yes, Oliver had started cooking omelets since Felicity had returned – and Oliver decided not to say anything until breakfast was ready. 

"Look at this," William said, handing him a section.

Oliver carried the paper along with him as he walked with William to the middle school. And then he called Felicity.

*

"Hi!" she said, after only one ring. "Thanks for setting up the not-dead-yet hearing already. I didn't know the Star City judicial system was so efficient." 

Oliver coughed. "I may have twisted a few arms." 

Felicity laughed. "Once, I would have asked if you meant that literally." 

"That's not why I called," Oliver smiled. "I just wanted to say thank you. William read what you said about Samantha in the paper."

Felicity was silent for a moment. Oliver could hear the tapping of her keyboard in the background.

"Oh," she finally said. "That is good." But she sounded strangely uncertain.


	29. What Defines a Hero (Felicity POV)

Felicity was still re-reading the article when her mother got back with coffee.

Donna looked over Felicity's shoulder at the screen. "Oh, that looks like a nice article about you and John!"

Felicity kept looking at it. "Yes." She pushed the computer towards her mother. "You might like the sidebars, too – there's a nice remembrance of Quentin."

"Oh, and Thea," Donna read. "And William's mother." She dabbed her eyes.

Felicity left Donna to her memories, and headed to the bedroom to call John.

"John," she said when he answered the phone, "why is our local paper calling me a hero?"

*

"I read the article in the newspaper," Felicity said to John. "What made you decide to talk to Susan Williams, after all?"

"I thought the remembrance section was a good idea," he said. "That was a very _Felicity_ thing to ask for."

"About that," Felicity said. "The story about the island had some... pretty major differences from reality."

"In detail," John said.

"John, my contribution to our survival consisted of trying and failing to build a solar still. Talia – she did the leech thing on your arm. Why did you claim that _I_ saved you?"

"You stayed," John said simply.


	30. Date Night (Oliver POV)

"William thinks he passed his math test," Oliver said. "Thank you."

"He was motivated," Felicity said. "You told him that he couldn't try out for the hockey team unless his grades improved."

Oliver nodded. "I didn't think he'd listen." He smiled wryly. "He's my son, after all."

"Yes," Felicity said. "So of course he listened to me."

 _She's not wrong_ , Oliver thought.

"It was nice of Rene to take the kids to the game," Felicity said after taking a sip of her wine.

"The team reads us well," Oliver responded.

The waiter came to take their order. Italian, of course. 

*

The food came. They smiled, and laughed, and ate, and watched the window in case the city exploded.

Finally, Felicity dug for something in her little black bag.

"Curtis was testing a new x-ray detector on his T-sphere," she said. "He was aiming it at the boxes in the lower level of the bunker... and he found this." She pulled out her hand, fingering something. "I would kneel, but it wouldn't work well in this dress."

Oliver stared at her hand.

And then both of their phones buzzed at once.

"Vigilante's at the hockey rink," Felicity said. "We'd better go."


	31. Don't Drink Too Much at the Rehearsal Dinner (Oliver POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wanted to be in present tense, and I didn't argue with it.
> 
> Note: big time jump from the previous chapter. I wasn't really interested in writing Slade's story.
> 
> Short version: in my imagination, Vigilante turned out to be Slade's son. I think that would have been more fun than what actually happened on the show (both with Slade and with Vigilante).

Oliver doesn't really drink.

But it's hard not to, what with all the toasting that's going on. Barry can't get drunk, so of course he's one of the primary culprits. Sara, who showed up after seeing a future wedding announcement, is egging Barry on. Curtis is a disaster at both toasting and drunkenness, but Rene, surprisingly, seems to have renounced alcohol, maybe in Quentin's memory. Dinah's also under control, but John seems tense, maybe at odds with Lyla.

Felicity just smiles.

Oliver looks at his friends and raises his glass.

That's when Future Kara shows up and begs for their help.


	32. Going to Get Married, Already Married (Oliver POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-partum depression sucks. Even when it's just implied in the future.

"So, if we save the multiverse five years from now, can we still celebrate today?" Rene asked.

"Technically, we should be able to celebrate now AND in five years," Curtis said.

Dinah just shook her head and followed them out of the bunker.

Oliver stayed behind, gazing at Felicity.

"Aren't you going with them?" she asked.

Oliver shook his head. "I just want to sit here with you, and remember it all."

Felicity laughed. "I didn't do anything."

"Oh, but you did," Oliver said. "You did more than any of us. She was... will be... amazing."

Felicity just nodded mechanically.

*

Oliver frowned at her silence. "Felicity..." he started.

She turned and started tapping at her computer.

"Fe-li-ci-ty..."

"I didn't feel anything," she said, not looking at him.

"You mean the drugs...?" Oliver asked.

Felicity shook her head. "Afterward. I was just... exhausted. And bleeding. And the nurse woke me up, but the baby wouldn't nurse, and then she just cried and cried..."

Oliver frowned. "Babies figure it out. Right?"

Felicity spun to look at him. "Oliver. What if I can't love her? What if I'm a bad mother?"

"That's impossible," Oliver said.

Felicity just shook her head and turned away.

*

"We don't need to do this," Oliver said, finally, after an eternity of silence.

"We saw the future," Felicity said.

"We saw one future," Oliver said. "Before Sara left... she said that she had seen a lot of different pasts, and a lot of different futures. And she learned that the future is what we make it."

"So our time-traveling friend says that we've got a choice?" Felicity asked.

Oliver nodded. "We always have a choice."

"We've got five years..." Felicity said. "We can still get married now..."

Oliver nodded.

Felicity smiled. "Then let's do it. Let's finish this wedding."


	33. Pillow Talk (Felicity POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is chronologically out of place - it happens before the rehearsal dinner, so it should come before the previous two chapters.
> 
> Also... this is really sappy. Which means I should leave a warning.
> 
> If you're a fan of the romance genre, you should run far, far away from my fics. I'm not a romance writer. I think the genre puts women into an emotional straitjacket disguised as a wedding dress. I think marriage can be one of many steps along life's journey, but I don't like seeing it as a goal to be achieved, and I don't find stories interesting when a marriage is the end goal. So in this case, I think that Oliver and Felicity could have a healthy relationship and could develop in other interesting ways. But that's not the only story to tell, and I'm still more interested in stories that develop Felicity through her own struggles and mistakes.

Oliver had a new habit.

He and William had started talking while they walked to school each morning. The idea came from the school counselor: to set aside time to talk, heal trauma, and piece a family together.

Felicity smiled when Oliver told her - of course exercise made it easier for them to talk. They were clearly related.

He tried a version of the talking with Felicity, too. After sex, he would lie on his back, stroking Felicity's hair and telling her something that he had never told anyone. 

And that's how Oliver started talking about his planned vows.

*

"I like the part about trust," Felicity said, snuggling into the groove between Oliver's shoulder and his chest.

"I hoped you would," Oliver said, as he traced Felicity's collarbone with his fingertip.

"I mean, I like all of it. But the trust part is really nice." She sighed as his fingers dug into a particularly tough knot in her shoulder muscle.

"How about the things about 'family'?" Oliver asked.

"I wish Thea were here," Felicity said. "And your parents. But I like the idea that marriage makes a new family. That's always been the nicest part of weddings, to me."

*

"Speaking of the ceremony," Felicity said, lifting her head an inch, "my mom wondered who was going to stand with you. It was going to be Quentin, but..."

"John's the best man," Oliver said.

"That's not what she meant," Felicity said. "Traditionally, in Jewish weddings, there's a family member who stands with the groom, as well as someone with the bride." She bit her lip.

Oliver nodded thoughtfully. "What about William?" he asked. "He's too old to be a ring bearer, but I want him to feel like he's part of this family, too."

"William would be perfect," Felicity agreed.


	34. Guest Lists Are Always Complicated (Felicity POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jump forward in time, again, to the wedding.

"I met the nicest friend of Oliver's last night, after everyone left," Donna said as she zipped Felicity's dress. "That's why I was late – I was a little hungover from the vodka."

"Vodka?" Felicity asked, frowning as she took the bouquet from Lyla.

Lyla nodded understanding of the situation. "I'll call my people. See you at the chuppa."

"Ready?" Donna asked as Lyla left.

Felicity took a breath, opened the door to the park, and nearly walked into her father.

"Dad?" Felicity frowned.

"I got your message," he replied. "Very clever, hacking my account. Much better than a traditional invitation."

*

" _Invitation_?" Donna asked. Her voice dripped with poison.

Felicity would have asked the same question, but her father was already responding.

"Yes," he said. "I wanted to be here for my daughter."

"There's a first time for everything." Donna rolled her eyes.

"Only because you wouldn't let me," Noah snapped.

"As if she needs a criminal escorting her..."

"Stop," Felicity interrupted. "Both of you. You can both escort me, but you will NOT ruin my wedding day. Understood?"

They both nodded, in sync for once. But as they escorted her down the aisle, the music was broken by a scream.


	35. Tunnel Vision (Oliver POV)

Oliver wasn't wearing a comm.

The other members of the team were – John and Rene standing beside Oliver, Dinah and Lyla waiting for Felicity, Curtis sitting in the back row with information somehow streamed onto his glasses. But John, Rene, and Curtis had all told Oliver that his mind would be elsewhere.

And they were right. As Felicity's processional music began, Oliver's entire field of view narrowed to the place where Felicity and her mother would appear, and everything would change.

And then he heard the scream.

"I'm being paged," Dinah said. " _Mazel tov_ , if I'm not back in time."

*

Felicity's father's appearance was a surprise. Felicity shrugged, but Donna gave Oliver a tight hug, whispered something about personally removing his balls if he behaved like Noah, and led William to the front row. Noah hugged Felicity, shook Oliver's hand, and found a seat somewhere near Curtis.

But Felicity was there. And the justice of the peace was beginning his speech about building a new family.

And that's when Anatoly's voice came from the back.

"Family. Brotherhood. These things are important. But you forget them, Oliver," Anatoly announced. "So I bring a gift. To remind you."

William stood up. "Mom...?"

*

"I love weddings," Anatoly said. "We like to give more gifts, for people who remember their brothers. Your sister - she is on a boat. Or 'ship.' Off the coast. You give us everything that we want... we bring her back to you. You do nothing... she goes back with us to Russia."

Oliver started shaking his head. "Anatoly, what the hell..."

"Oh. And there are bombs. Not my bombs. More sophisticated. You have a genius, yes? More than one. Not just your bride. They stop bombs. Maybe."

Anatoly shrugged and stepped back behind a line of men with automatic weapons.


	36. Mazel Tov...? (Felicity POV)

The glass shattered under Felicity's foot as she ran towards the blinking light.

"I guess we're married," she said over her shoulder to Oliver. " _I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine_." She stopped and twisted a ring onto his finger. "Though, for the record, I'm still my own genius."

Oliver nodded, bemused. 

"Just give me the ring, Oliver," Felicity said.

Oliver obeyed.

John was behind him. "Curtis says that he and your father are working on the other bombs," he said. "Rene is covering Donna. Oliver, check on William."

Oliver nodded, kissed Felicity, and went the other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: it's really too bad that Oliver and Felicity will never really get married in canon. They were a cute couple, but no wedding written by a sexual harasser (and involving Nazis) will ever be legitimate in my mind.
> 
> The characters might as well have permanently broken up in canon, as far as I'm concerned.


	37. Don't Crack (Lyla POV)

Lyla buttoned Johnny's tux for him.

She bundled JJ into his rain gear, found his favorite stuffed animal, and picked up Raisa.

She talked Johnny's father into putting on his suit and coming to the wedding, no matter what Oliver Queen represented in Johnny's life, or Andy's life, or the world at large.

She picked up Felicity's bouquet when Donna called, frantic, because the florist hadn't delivered it to the park yet.

She checked her comm, to confirm that the Suicide Squad was in position, ready for anything.

And then she put on her dress and headed for the wedding.


	38. Any Means Necessary (Lyla POV)

"...Just make sure they're in international waters," Lyla said into her comm. "Then do whatever is necessary."

"I'll do what I have to," Slade replied. "Give my regards to the groom, and tell him I'll take care of his sister."

Lyla checked on Johnny and his father, and then went over to give the groom a situation report.

Oliver was awkwardly watching William's reunion with his mother. Samantha didn't acknowledge him – she only had eyes for her son.

William looked up at Lyla. "Do you know where Raisa is? Mom wants to meet her, but Raisa isn't answering her texts."


	39. Boom (Felicity POV)

The bomb wasn't that complicated, Felicity thought. It was just... weird. Like a game with a lot of different levels. Or a bunch of nested puzzles. Or... well, the metaphor wasn't important. It's just... every time she thought she had defused the bomb, another problem appeared and needed to be fixed.

And then, suddenly, the timer stopped. She hadn't even solved the last puzzle. She dove to the ground, expecting a blast. But nothing happened.

She peeked over the chairs to see Curtis and her father doing the same thing.

And that's when they heard the explosion in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let "it's your turn" refer to Felicity and/or John getting complex hero-development stories, or to the season's villains coming from the history of various other members of the team. (Cayden James as Felicity's Big Bad nemesis? Please?)


	40. Forgotten (Evelyn POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jump back in time, to Lian Yu at the end of 5.23. I'm still working on wedding aftermath stuff - I plan to get back to it eventually.

The forest burned around Evelyn's cage. Before long, the cage would burn, too.

"So Oliver and Chase were both right," she said to the flames. "Neither one of them came back for me."

And then a hooded figure came out of the forest.

"I recalled that you were here." The woman pulled out an arrow and shot the lock off her cage. "I am Nyssa. And you are not the first woman to be left for dead on this island."

"I'm tired of being forgotten by men," Evelyn said. "Thank you."

"We women must watch for each other," Nyssa replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I figure that Arrow has basically been a 5-year redemption story for Oliver, but that's done. So there are redemption arcs up for grabs. I know people hate Evelyn, but I think that teenage girls deal with too many demands to be perfect and not enough options for redemption.
> 
> But she's not actually my top choice for a redemption arc. My choices would be based on (1) whether the actor is capable of pulling off a complex story with both bad and good in them, simultaneously and believably, and (2) whether there's a plausible plot or backstory for a redemption arc. My choices would be:
> 
> 1\. Anatoly (because I enjoy the actor)  
> 2\. Slade (already happening)  
> 3\. Felicity's dad (started in Season 4)  
> 4\. Helena (just because I've had fun writing her in fic)  
> 5\. Evelyn  
> 6\. The ghost of Floyd Lawton  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> 25\. That grey-haired city councilman  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> 113\. China White, Lady Cop, and Cupid (Not higher because they have been written as bad racist/sexist stereotypes so far - the Exotic Asian Martial Artist, the Angry Black Woman, and the Nymphomaniac - and it would take some serious awareness of intersectionality to create good backstories. Maybe leave this for fanfic.)  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> 278\. The ghost of the original Count Vertigo  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> 598\. Derek Sampson/Cody Rhodes  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> 846\. Random Thug #75  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> 5793\. Black Siren (KC doesn't have the acting skills to portray multiple emotions in the same scene or complex motivations for a character. She had three seasons as a main character with complex storylines, and she couldn't do a decent love/hate relationship, she couldn't do a complicated grief/addiction/justice-seeker story, and she couldn't do a decent superhero-motivated-by-love-of-dead-sister.)


	41. Threat Response (Oliver POV)

Too many things were happening. Threats to be identified, ranked, eliminated. Oliver's finger twitched, missing his bow.

Rene, reporting that the Russians were gone.

Dinah back, too – Black Siren had just disappeared.

An explosion – far away; not an immediate threat.

Lyla, talking on her comm. Worried. Raisa missing. John nearby, frowning, not able to help.

William in Samantha's arms.

Felicity...

Felicity. 

"I defused the bomb," she said. "But something exploded anyway."

She tugged a bit of grass out of her hair, and a sudden ray of sunlight glinted off her ring.

Oliver finally breathed, and pulled her into a hug.


	42. The Etiquette Problem of Bomb Threats at a Wedding (Felicity POV)

It was nice to have Oliver's arms around her. Felicity could get used to this. In public. In the Arrow Cave. In his office.

"The explosion sounded like it came from the harbor," Oliver said into her hair. 

Lyla stopped talking into her comms. "The explosion was further out," she responded. "In international waters. Thea is safe." 

Felicity frowned. The explosion sounded too nearby for international waters. And the connection to Thea was... odd.

Oliver just nodded. "And Raisa?"

"My people are looking for her," Lyla said. 

"And JJ?" John asked. 

Lyla's professional mask broke. "I don't know," she said.

* 

"We need to go," Lyla said. "Oliver, if you think of any place where Raisa might be..."

Oliver nodded.

Curtis joined them. "So what's the etiquette for what to do after your wedding is nearly bombed?"

A light flashed. Oliver spun towards it, but it was just the photographer.

Felicity looked down at her grass-stained dress. "This is not how I imagined my wedding photos. I'm a mess."

Oliver slowly looked down, then up to her face. "I think you look beautiful." 

Felicity loved the photo captured by the next flash, even though it ended up all over the internet.

*

Under the circumstances, they skipped the reception and went straight to goodbyes.

"I'll be around for a few days," Felicity's father said, then slipped a burner phone into her hand. "In case you need anything else."

The city councilors looked concerned, but managed to hug Felicity and shake Oliver's hand. 

And then there was Felicity's mother.

"Samantha can stay with me and William, at your place, until after the honeymoon," she said. She snuck a glance at Felicity's father, then at Oliver. "But honey," she whispered, "We need to talk about those Russian gangsters who are friends with your husband."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that craving a "you look beautiful" severely diminishes Felicity as a character and a human being. This is about the only circumstance in which I would appreciate that line.


	43. Gossip Column (Felicity POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be happy that there's only a text from Susan Williams in this chapter. I nearly went ballistic at the mention of the "R" word, and wrote a backup chapter in which everyone dies.
> 
> Please, don't use the "R" word anywhere around me.
> 
> To be clear: I'm good with "love," the complex human emotion with many faces. I am not good with "romance," the genre that limits women to their roles in the lives of men, that presents women as interested only in catching a man. The genre in which the greatest threat to a woman is another woman who wants to steal her man (and not, say, problems with the man, or with the society that limits women's options). The genre that accepts our society's idealized gender roles as fixed and desirable - strong men rescuing helpless women, various kinds of fantasies in which women have no choice but to submit to the powerful man. ICK. NO.
> 
> Give me love in a better world than this. Don't give me "romance."
> 
> (The Olicity fandom? It's into "romance," not "love.")

They went to the bunker. They'd had enough islands for a lifetime, so Bali was out, anyway. And there was champagne already stashed down here. Just in case. And, Felicity thought, there _was_ the salmon ladder...

Oliver's phone was buzzing before he managed to loosen his tie. He looked grimly at it for a moment, then handed it to Felicity.

"I can't believe you're showing me a message from Susan Williams on our honeymoon," she said.

"Just read it," Oliver replied.

 _Congratulations_ , it said. _Glad nobody died._

_You should read this story. Not my work._

_Sorry for the bad news._

*

"The wedding between Mayor Queen and former Palmer Tech CEO Felicity Smoak was certain to be the social event of the decade. The appearance of the Russian mob, with their gift of three bombs, made it even more exciting. Drama is certain to continue, as we can only imagine how Thea Queen will react when she hears that her brother got married in her absence.

The wedding answered questions about the Most Eligible Mayor's romantic life, but it raises others. Most importantly: what are Mayor Queen's ties to the Russian mob? And what role did they play in his election?"


	44. Sit Rep (Micheals-Diggle household POV)

Johnny set his phone on the table, then ended the call. "Felicity set up facial recognition on all the traffic cameras in the city," he said. "And at the airport and train station, too. Plus banks and convenience stores."

Lyla stared at her own phone, silent.

"She's the best person there is at this," he said.

"I know," Lyla said. But half her mind was waiting for the report from her second-in-command. He was authorized to take reports from Task Force X, but Slade Wilson could be difficult to handle.

And rescuing Thea wasn't exactly part of ARGUS's core mission.

*

A phone buzzed. John reached for his. He knew Felicity was good, but this was exceptional. 

It wasn't his phone. Before he even had the phone in his hand, Lyla was already talking on hers.

"Yes," she said. "Yes, sir. No, sir." She paused. "I understand. I will take care of it."

She shook her head, then made another call.

"You're sure about the GPS?" she asked. "Absolutely sure?" She listened, then hung up.

John looked at her, waiting for an explanation.

"Thea's ship was in US waters," Lyla said. "We've got an international incident. And someone's scrambling our GPS."


	45. Extreme Measures (Felicity POV)

"Hi, Lyla!" Felicity said into her phone, scrambling to pull a blanket around herself. "I've got searches running for JJ. No results yet, but..."

"I know you'll call us as soon as you have something," Lyla said.

"Oh... is it Thea? Should I get Oliver?" He was sound asleep, blanket half-covering him, smiling slightly. Snoring.

"No," Lyla said. "I need you. Could you help set up a meeting with your father?"

"Maybe," Felicity said. "Though he's kind of hesitant about government agencies. Why?"

"I'm just trying to find out who else knows how to hack GPS satellites," Lyla said. "Besides you."

*

Felicity frowned at the computer, then wrapped the blanket around her more tightly. The cameras were sending her petabytes of data, but her facial recognition algorithm wasn't giving her any leads on Raisa or on JJ. And John hadn't texted with news that they'd turned up, either.

Her best friend's pre-schooler had apparently been kidnapped during her wedding. If there was ever a reason to push the panic button, this was it.

She opened a terminal window and started searching the dark web for digital tracks. Finally, she found something.

> _Kojo Sledgehammer_ , Felicity typed. _You around? I need help_.

*

<Kojo Sledgehammer> we asked you not to contact us anymore

<Ghost Fox Goddess> I know.

<Ghost Fox Goddess> But I need your help finding someone.

<Kojo Sledgehammer> again? really?

<Ghost Fox Goddess> I know. I know.

<Ghost Fox Goddess> It's a kid.

<Kojo Sledgehammer> your stepson? 

<Kojo Sledgehammer> heard you got married. congrats.

_OMG, I'm the evil stepmother,_ Felicity thought. _Sometimes you live long enough to become the villain..._

<Ghost Fox Goddess> No, not William. A three-year-old.

<Ghost Fox Goddess> I'll do whatever you need if you can help me find him.

<Kojo Sledgehammer> i'll see what i can do.


	46. The Director and the Hacker (Felicity POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the wedding was an inciting incident, and everything bad that happens now follows from it. When I say "I don't believe in happy endings," this is what I mean. Getting married doesn't remove emotional complications from one's life. (And having a kid doesn't make you a good person - it just creates responsibilities. And sleep deprivation.)

The press didn't catch up with them until the third taxi ride. But by the time Oliver and Felicity arrived at City Hall, the street was swarming with cameras.

"Mr. Mayor, what happened to your sister?"

"Mayor Queen, who are your Russian friends?"

Felicity pulled Oliver down into a kiss. "Let's give them something else to talk about," she whispered.

"Mrs. Queen," another reporter shouted. "What's your 'cause' going to be, now that you're married to the mayor?"

Felicity glared into the crowd. "It's still 'Ms. Smoak,'" she said. "And I'm going to work on my start-up. And world conquest."

*

Felicity slipped into the back seat of the waiting car.

"You shouldn't mention start-ups to the press unless you're serious," the driver said, looking back at her over his dark sunglasses. "Also, 'world conquest?' When you're married to the Green Arrow?"

"I know," Felicity sighed. "But I was serious about the start-up, Dad. That's where we're going."

Noah nodded. "I'm ready to drive."

Fifteen minutes later, Felicity led him into the old campaign office.

Lyla turned to face them as they entered the room.

"ARGUS? Dangerous clients for a new business," Noah commented. "But you do like to live dangerously."

*

"You want me to be your asset, like my daughter?" Noah asked.

"Felicity is a friend, not an asset," Lyla said. "But our GIS satellite signal was compromised yesterday."

"That was your explosion," Noah said. "So you blow up ships for the sake of friends? Or is the Green Arrow one of your assets?"

"You and Felicity can hack satellites like that," Lyla said. "But you were both busy disabling bombs. Who else has those skills?"

"You want to recruit them?" Noah asked.

"I don't have the authority to recruit anyone at the moment," Lyla said. "But I need answers." 

*

"Dad," Felicity said, after watching the silent face-off between him and Lyla. "Please. If someone else is hacking the satellites..." 

He sighed. "Of course other people want to hack the ARGUS satellites." 

Lyla shook her head. "I know there are people who _want to_. I need to know who _can_." 

"Maybe you shouldn't give free reign to former terrorists," Noah said mildly. "You're worried about me, or people like me, when you employ someone who called himself _Deathstroke_..."

"I can handle Slade Wilson," Lyla said. "I can't handle unknown actors who interfere with our communications." 

"Knowledge is freedom," Noah replied. 

*

"Providing information can also mean freedom," Lyla said.

"Are you offering a deal, Director Michaels?" Noah asked. "Because I don't currently have a lawyer."

He glanced at Felicity. She shrugged.

"This isn't a deal," Lyla said. "It's a personal promise. I know where you are. I know you're wanted. Tell me what you know, and I won't turn you in."

Noah looked at Felicity. "Choose your friends wisely," he said. 

Felicity and Lyla looked at him, silently.

Noah sighed. "I don't know who did it," he said. "I know there's a group that's organized recently, but they've been avoiding me."


	47. De-Briefing (Felicity POV)

"I didn't want to ask while my father was here," Felicity started, "but what do you mean, you can't recruit people?"

"There's a multi-agency investigation into the explosion on the Russian ship," Lyla replied. "That's why Thea isn't back in Star City yet. She's being de-briefed."

"So what _are_ you allowed to do while the investigation is going on?" Felicity asked. "If that's not classified."

"Not much," Lyla sighed. "Just answer their questions."

"And you can't use ARGUS resources to search for JJ, either," Felicity guessed.

Lyla nodded.

Felicity turned back to her screen. "I'll keep working on it, then."


	48. Just a Few Questions, Sir (Oliver POV)

Oliver's assistant stuck his head into the office. "There's a Samandra Watson here to see you," he said. "She's not on your calendar, but she says she's from the FBI."

Oliver frowned. "Let her in," he said.

"Mayor Queen," Samandra said, extending her hand. "Thank you for seeing me."

"Star City is always happy to help," Oliver replied. "Agent Watson, is it? My wife made me watch every episode of the X-Files before she would marry me." He gave her his most disarming smile.

"That's right," she said. "And congratulations on your wedding, Mr. Queen. That's actually why I'm here."

* 

"You probably know there was an explosion offshore of Star City during your wedding," Samandra began.

Oliver nodded. "Yes. I hear the Russian government isn't very happy." He paused. "But why is the FBI involved? I actually was never very good at civics..." He gave his Ollie Queen smile. "But I thought the FBI was only involved in domestic crimes?"

Samandra nodded. "But the explosion was in US waters. And news reports suggest that a Russian gangster threatened your wedding," she said. "I'm with the Organized Crime division, Mr. Queen. It's interesting that the Bratva would bring you a _gift_."

* 

Oliver shrugged. "I heard they're trying to get a foothold in the city. Maybe it's a tradition?"

Samandra's eyes narrowed. "You have a file, you know," she said. "They say you're a terrible liar. They also say that you lie a lot." She paused. "You shouldn't make a habit of lying to me, Mr. Queen."

She stood and walked out. 

Oliver's phone buzzed as she left. "Oliver Queen," he answered.

"This is a message from Star City Middle School," the voice said. "Your child, _William Clayton_ , is absent today. If this absence is excused, please call 555-1212 by 3 pm."


	49. Won't Someone Think of the Children (Felicity POV)

It didn't take long for Felicity to fulfill her part of the deal with Alena. It turns out that the FBI does a horrible job with security on their cybercrimes data. She could have grabbed all the information about their ongoing investigations in her sleep.

She would have thought that Helix would have asked for something harder. After all, Cayden James was back; surely they were working on more challenging problems now.

Felicity sat back and waited for a reply, hopefully with news about JJ and Raisa.

Instead, she got a text from Oliver: _Your mom left you a note_. 

* 

_I should have known that you would fall for someone like him,_ the note said. _Daughters always fall for men like their fathers._

_I convinced Samantha to take William and leave town, as soon as possible._

_I hope that you will learn, and do the same._

Felicity answered the phone before her ringtone sounded.

"I thought your mother liked me." Oliver sounded hurt.

"She did," Felicity said. "But she can change her mind fast." She paused. "I can start a search for Samantha and William. As well as JJ."

"There's an amber alert already," Oliver said. "The school suggested it."


	50. Not Enough (Felicity POV)

"You wish you were out there, don't you?" Felicity looked up from the screen showing the heat signatures measured by Curtis's T-spheres in the apartment where Raisa and JJ were hidden. Well, where Felicity thought they were hidden, if Helix had given her good information.

John leaned back in his van seat. "What could I do? Left-handed, I'm a worse shot than Curtis. I'd just shoot them both." He didn't say how much it bothered him, knowing hot-headed Rene was safer handling a gun around JJ than John was.

But Felicity knew.

"You'll improve," Felicity assured him. "It takes practice." 

*

John sighed. "I know you've been through worse," he said. "So much worse." 

"But only for a few months," Felicity pointed out. "I had a chip that let me walk, less than three months after the shooting."

John shook his head. "Felicity Megan Smoak. You are the most consistently encouraging person I know."

But it wasn't _her_ encouragement that John needed, Felicity thought. "You need a different therapist. Have you called Paul?"

_Or..._ Felicity thought. Maybe she and Curtis should really start the business that they'd been talking about. Maybe Curtis's inventions could do more than just track warm bodies...


	51. Routine Traffic Stop (Dinah POV)

The car fit the description from the anonymous tip perfectly.

"Of course it does," Felicity said through Dinah's earpiece. "I'm the one who called it in."

Dinah turned on her body cam and approached the other car. No surprises – it was Samantha and William.

"License and registration, please," Dinah said. "And watch your speed." 

Samantha glared.

"Or you could come back to Star City, be declared legally alive, and work out a custody agreement with Mr. Queen," Dinah suggested. 

"Please, Mom?" William pleaded. "I need to get a B on my math test if I want to keep playing hockey."


	52. The World of the Living (Oliver POV)

Oliver looked up at the knock on his office door. "Come in," he said to Samantha. "Welcome back to the world of the living." 

She looked overwhelmed. "Does it always involve a three-hour interview with the FBI?"

"No," Oliver said. "But then I wasn't a witness to a public incident involving the Russian mob."

"It's not like I knew anything," she said. "I still don't understand how Anatoly knows you."

"Sorry," Oliver said. 

"And it wasn't just that," Samantha said. "They wanted to know why I was living under a fake name for more than a year before being kidnapped."

*

"Having a fake name for a year... that made the whole _returning from the dead_ thing more complicated," Samantha pointed out.

"Oh," Oliver said.

"They had a lot of questions about the first kidnapping. I finally told them that William was rescued by the Green Arrow. And that you suggested that I go into hiding." She looked at Oliver. "Though I didn't really have a choice."

Oliver winced. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head at him. "Oliver... I didn't tell your secret. But I don't want to share custody with you. I want William back. With me. Where he belongs."

*

Samantha plowed onward. "Oliver, two years ago, William and I left everything we knew. I didn't have many friends, and my job was just a job, but still. And leaving still didn't protect us. And after seven months alone in an apartment in Russia... now you aren't even going to give my son back to me?" 

There was a lot packed into that speech, but Oliver focused on one thing. "Alone?" he asked. "What about Thea?"

"Thea tried to break us out. They stopped her, took her away. The last thing she said to me was: _Survive. Kids need parents_."


	53. Neighborhood Watch (Rene POV)

"So Samantha and William are your neighbors?" Curtis asked.

Rene shrugged. "Oliver asked me to help them find a place with the same school. Now Zoe and William can walk together." 

"I don't understand why Oliver didn't fight for custody," Curtis said.

Dinah shook her head at both of them. "Samantha knows Oliver's identity," she said. "That would have come out in the hearing." 

"But isn't someone going to notice that the Green Arrow is lurking around a new neighborhood?" Curtis pressed. "He took down three drug dealers last night alone."

Rene had to admit that Curtis had a point.


	54. Empathy (Felicity POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are superpowers also fatal flaws?

Felicity stood, naked, beside the bed. "At least we can make noise," she said. 

And they did. It turns out that married sex is just as good as pre-marital sex or honeymoon sex. Felicity fell asleep with Oliver wrapped around her, thinking this could be perfect for the rest of her life.

She woke sometime later to a cold spot against her back.

She pulled on her glasses and saw Oliver standing, shadowed by the moonlight. "What's wrong?"

"William always gets up at this time of night," Oliver said. "He used to have nightmares. He never told me about them."

* 

Felicity watched, silently, as John shook his head and walked away from the heavy bag.

"He's not ok, is he." Even Rene wasn't asking any more.

"No," Felicity agreed.

"The physical therapy isn't helping?" Curtis asked. "I mean, Paul..." He trailed off, not able to finish the sentence. 

"It's not enough," Rene said. "It just isn't fair. He's the best of us." 

Curtis nodded.

"I've got an idea to help," Felicity said "But, Curtis, I need your inventing skills. Or brain."

"I thought you'd never ask," Curtis replied. 

They spent hours sketching and erasing possible designs, but none looked promising. 

*

"What do you think's going on with all these tech break-ins?" Curtis asked over the comms. "Last week it was Kord Industries. This week it's Palmer Tech. There was even something in the tech section of the patent office."

"No clue," Felicity said. "But the motion detectors in your old lab just lit up."

"On our way," Dinah replied.

"Hey! These are the specs for your chip," Curtis exclaimed. "Dusty. Like nobody's looked at them in two years."

"Take them," Felicity said.

"Are you sure that's wise?" asked Dinah.

"They're Curtis's work," Felicity said. "Nobody else wants them. Take them."


	55. Inheritance (Felicity POV)

"There's movement on the 45th Street traffic camera," Felicity said. "Wait. No. It's just a cat." She watched the camera for traffic. "Oliver?"

He chuckled over the comms, then picked it up and carried it across the street.

"And the mighty Green Arrow keeps the neighborhood safe again," Curtis said from his workbench.

"Glad to see nothing's changed."

Felicity and Curtis spun around to see Thea standing in the middle of the bunker.

"Oh my god!" Felicity ran towards her and flung her arms around her. "You're back. When did you get back? It's so good to see you alive!"

*

"I'm so sorry that we got married without you. I mean, I'm not sorry that we got married. Just that you weren't there." Felicity hugged Thea again. "Oliver's going to be so happy to see you."

"How was the FBI?" Curtis asked. "They kept you a long time."

Thea shrugged. "They had lots of questions."

"What did they ask?" Felicity frowned. "According to Oliver, the FBI was pretty hard on Samantha."

"It was ok," Thea said. "I inherited some very important traits from my mother and father."

"A talent for dramatic entrances?" Curtis guessed. 

"The ability to lie," Thea said.


	56. Neighborhood Watch 2 (Oliver POV)

William crossed the street, walked past the building where Oliver was hiding, then spun and walked back to it.

"Dad!" he grumbled. "Nobody is selling me drugs. I promise."

Oliver stepped from the shadow. "Not after last night, they aren't."

William rolled his eyes. "I wasn't going to buy them anyway," he said. "You're worse than Mom."

That hurt.

"And if you're going to hide on the street in the morning, you should wear urban cammoflage or something," he added. "I could see the green from two blocks away."

"Ouch," Felicity said through the comm. "Maybe he has a point."


	57. Mysteries (Samandra Watson POV)

It didn't add up.

The Bratva kidnapped the mayor's sister and his son's mother. That much was undisputed. Everything else rested on the contradictory stories of Thea Queen and Samantha Clayton.

They agreed about being captured by the Russians. But when it came to the original kidnapping, there were discrepancies. Queen speculated about conspiracies in City Hall; maybe Adrian Chase had some kind of Bratva connection. Clayton thought Chase had a personal vendetta – though she didn't know why.

However, Clayton's history of changing her identity meant she was probably unreliable. 

And Samandra didn't understand why the Green Arrow was involved.

*

Samandra looked through the records of Green Arrow sightings. He'd been spending a lot more time around 45th Street since Samantha Clayton had moved there.

One of the cybercrime geeks dropped a file on her desk. "Got something new for you, since you're obsessed with Star City," he said. 

"Hmm?" Samandra picked it up. It was incomprehensible. Typical geeks.

"One of our bait files was picked up by a new actor. The IP address traces back to your stomping grounds." He pointed to a map of Star City. "That building? It used to be the campaign office for Oliver Queen."


	58. Start Me Up (Oliver POV)

"Mr. Queen?" Oliver's assistant interrupted. "Samandra Watson wants to see you. She doesn't have an appointment."

"FBI," Oliver explained to Felicity.

She was perched on his desk, drinking her coffee, the duffel bag with his Arrow gear sitting below her. Normally, he went to the bunker to switch suits after watching William head to school, but he'd been running late and changed at home instead. Felicity offered to walk him to the office and deal with the gear. And it was a pleasant morning, and she was his wife, and he had said yes.

And now the FBI was visiting. 

* 

"I was just on my way out," Felicity explained, hefting the duffel bag onto her shoulder.

"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you as well, Mrs. Queen," Samandra said.

"It's Ms. Smoak," Felicity corrected her. "I kept my name." 

"I see," Samandra replied. "In any case, I have some questions about a building that you purchased a couple years ago, Ms. Smoak. Your husband's old campaign office?"

"What about it?" Oliver kept his tone deliberately pleasant, and pretended that he didn't see Felicity's concerned glance.

"Is it currently in use?" Samandra asked. "We've been tracking some online activity there."

*

"I'm working there," Felicity said. "On my new start-up. Which uses the Internet. Because I work with computers."

"I see," Samandra said. "What are you calling your new company?"

Felicity and Oliver tried to answer simultaneously.

"Queen Enterprises." 

"Smoak Incorporated."

Felicity gave Oliver a Look. "I mean, we haven't named it yet. It's still starting up. Cause it's a start-up." 

Samandra lifted an eyebrow. "I see."

"I'd better be going," Felicity said. "Time to get some things started up. You know?"

Samandra followed her out the door. 

"You needed something...?" Oliver asked.

"No," Samandra said. "I've got everything I need."


	59. Start Me Up, Part 2 (Felicity POV)

Curtis crawled out from underneath the desk. "You know, it would have been easier to keep doing this downstairs."

Felicity plugged in the monitor and turned the workstation on. "I told you. It's time to make this company real – and that means we can't keep working out of the bunker."

Curtis frowned at the text on the screen. "Smoak Enterprises is a good name," he said, "but you really need a better logo."

"We can hire a graphic designer," Felicity said. "Later. First, we need some content to go on the new website, to convince investors to take us seriously."

*

Felicity stood back and let Oliver look at the design of the prosthetic arm.

Oliver nodded. "I like it."

"I'll make the prototype as soon as we get the 3D printer working," Curtis said. "Though the arm isn't the hard part." 

Felicity nodded. "A kid made one for a science fair a few years ago."

"It's the neural connection that's tricky. Especially for someone who wants fine motor control in the hand." Curtis snapped his fingers to demonstrate.

"Which is important for making quick decisions about whether or not to pull a trigger." Oliver said. "But you have a plan?"

*

"The design already exists," Felicity said. "There's just one complication."

Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"The prototype is in my back," Felicity said.

"Oh," Oliver said. "But Curtis invented it. Couldn't he make another?"

"Palmer Tech owns the patent," Curtis said. "Even though they refuse to use it."

"So you... invent another one?" Oliver was adorable when he was in over his head. Felicity leaned down and kissed the tips of his hair. It was fun having him sit in front of the computer for once.

"It's a tricky problem," Curtis said. "None of my other ideas work. That was it."


	60. Screw It (Felicity POV)

Felicity stared at the specs for her chip. "Do you think anyone else ever really looked at this?"

"Well, there was that woman with the bees," Curtis said, "but I don't think the Palmer Tech board gave much thought to it. It was just your pet project." 

"And my ability to walk," Felicity said. "Though I don't think they ever really cared about that."

"Nope," Curtis agreed. "I bet they haven't even noticed that this is gone." 

She and Curtis kept staring at the screen. It wasn't their patent. But...

"Screw it," Felicity said. "Let's make a chip for John."


	61. Good for Business (Felicity POV)

"You're going to be late." Felicity didn't bother looking up from her computer.

Oliver shifted his bow into his other hand and kissed her head as he walked towards the elevator.

"I know," he said. "Lots of people out this morning. I had to go over the roofs."

"The storefront down the street just got rented," Felicity said. "That handsome mayor of ours is good for business."

"Speaking of which, I've got a meeting," Oliver said. "I'd better change."

Felicity watched his butt disappear into the elevator, then turned back to her computer. There was a patent office to hack.


	62. Join the Club (Oliver POV)

Rene dropped a poster on Oliver's desk. "Thought you might like to see what William and Zoe are doing."

"I don't get to see William except when he's walking to school," Oliver said, flipping the paper over. "You know that." He frowned. "The _Justice League_?"

"It's a club that the kids started at school," Rene said. "Anti-bullying stuff. Cool, huh?"

"No," Oliver said, pulling on his coat. "Wearing masks in middle school is not _cool_. I need to talk to William."

"Felicity said your first response would be _don't be like me_ ," Rene called as Oliver walked out the door.


	63. No. Masks. (Zoe Ramirez POV)

The Green Arrow dropped to the ground in front of William. William didn't even flinch. Zoe was 90% sure Green Arrow was actually William's dad, but the lack of reaction was still impressive.

"I heard about your club," Green Arrow growled. "It's a bad idea."

"We're just stopping bullies," William argued.

"You're dressing up in masks," Green Arrow said. 

William's phone rang. "Hi, Overwatch," he said. "Yeah, he's here. Want to talk to him?"

Green Arrow took the phone, listened, then looked at them. "No. Masks." 

And then he shot a grappling hook arrow from his bow and whisked away.


	64. May You Live in Interesting Times (Oliver POV)

The Parking Commission meeting was excruciatingly boring.

Boring was good. Oliver knew he should be relieved that the worst thing happening in the mayor's office involved an argument about the merits of parallel versus diagonal parking, with a surprise cameo from the bicycle lobby. But the meeting was still tedious. 

Finally, everyone stood and shook hands, and Oliver left the conference room.

Dinah and Rene were both standing outside, looking worried. Bad news.

"The FBI is searching the building above the bunker," Dinah said. "Curtis texted us that he's there but can't get upstairs, and Felicity isn't answering her phone."

*

"Hi," Oliver said, walking into Felicity's start-up office as casually as possible and giving her a kiss. Her lips were tighter than he had ever felt them. Oliver had the urge to lick them, lightly, to comfort her, but he controlled himself. "What's all this?"

"Search warrant," one of the agents said, putting Felicity's workstation into a box.

Felicity's hand tightened into a fist. Fortunately, it was hidden in Oliver's hand.

"That's it," Samandra Watson said, walking past him. "Mr. Mayor."

"Agent Watson," Oliver replied.

And then they were gone.

And so were four different workstations and the 3D printer.

*

"On the bright side, they didn't find the bunker," Curtis said.

Felicity's lips tightened. Oliver rubbed his hand along her back. 

"I mean, that happened to your old lair under the club, right?" Curtis asked, totally oblivious.

"That's right, Curtis," Oliver said softly but dangerously.

Felicity just shook her head. "We almost had a version of the chip that should work with a prosthetic arm," she said. "But it was on _that_ computer." She pointed at an empty desk. "It was so hard connecting to a few nerves, instead of the entire spinal chord. I was almost ready to tell John..." 

*

Oliver rubbed a hand through his hair. "Does anyone know what they were after?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Curtis said. "They've been watching the Green Arrow stalk your kid. Then they followed you here."

Oliver looked around.

Rene shrugged. "Turns out that office down the street was FBI," he said. "It makes sense."

"At least they didn't find anything," Felicity scowled. "The workstations up here were clean. They've never done Arrow work."

"Except..." Curtis started.

Felicity spun and glared at him.

"Except nothing," Curtis relented. "There's no way the stolen files could be traced back to any of us. "


	65. The Knock

It took several days.

Oliver and Felicity had started to settle back into some semblance of normalcy. Oliver went back to hiding in the shadows while William walked to school. Felicity bought a couple new workstations and started working with Curtis, yet again, on designing a chip-controlled hand for John.

But eventually, the knock came.

Oliver was at the stove, making risotto. Felicity was sipping a glass of wine, and was the first one to the door.

"Felicity Smoak?" the agent asked. "You're under arrest for corporate espionage and theft of trade secrets. You have the right to remain silent..."


	66. Visitors (Felicity POV)

Oliver dropped from the ceiling of Felicity's cell.

Well, to be precise, the Green Arrow dropped from the ceiling. And, although Felicity loved seeing Oliver in leather as much as in a suit and tie, she was not pleased.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, looking for the guards.

"Getting you out," Oliver replied.

"No," Felicity said.

"No?" Oliver frowned. "Felicity, I can't leave you here."

"Oliver," she said, "I don't want to be a fugitive for the rest of my life. And besides, something's weird about this. Why me? Why now?" 

Oliver shrugged helplessly. "What do you mean?"

*

"Think, Oliver," Felicity said. "How many laws have I broken in the past?"

Oliver shrugged again.  
  
"Lots," Felicity supplied. "I've re-arranged people's bank accounts. I've hacked Homeland Security drones. I've hidden evidence from the police and I've broken into prisons more times than I can count. I dropped a frakking nuke on Havenrock. And suddenly there's evidence against me? Who's after me? And why now?"

"They hacked you?" Oliver suggested.

"I love you, Oliver," Felicity said, "but sometimes you act like every problem is about muscles and arrows. Someone is manipulating us, Oliver. And we need to figure out why."

*

Oliver left, still arguing. Felicity sat in her cell, thinking. 

Something small buzzed past her head.

"Hell no, Ray," Felicity said. "What, is every surviving man that I ever slept with going to try to rescue me?"

The tiny object expanded and took off his helmet. "I never slept with you," Mick Rory said. "Glasses aren't my thing."

"And meatheads aren't mine," Felicity replied.

"Thought you married Oliver Queen," Mick said.

"Point," Felicity replied. "But what are you doing here?"

"Heard you needed a prison break," Mick said. "Didn't think Haircut was the guy for the job. Took his stuff."

*

Two other bodies dropped from the ceiling.

"This wasn't the plan, Mick," Sara said. "I hope you turned off the cameras at least." 

"I'm not the idiot that everyone thinks I am," Mick replied. "You think Haircut would have remembered?"

"Maybe?" Sara said. She turned to Felicity. "Amaya and I are here to get you out."

"You're traveling through time," Felicity said. "How did you know?"

"Oliver stashed a paper with the news in our secret message spot," Sara said. "With HELP in green ink."

"He's not subtle," Amaya commented. 

"No," Felicity said. "And I need subtle. Not a jailbreak."


	67. Visitors, Redux (Felicity POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is there any more point in leaving warnings?
> 
> Susan Williams is in this story. She isn't evil.
> 
> You want a wedding-and-marriage fix without Susan Williams? Don't look for it here. I enjoy writing characters who don't like each other, but who aren't good-versus-evil. (And I think most wedding-and-marriage stories are boring.)

Felicity had expected Oliver when she was summoned to the interview room. She wouldn't have been surprised to see John or Curtis or Thea, or even Rene or Dinah.

But Susan Williams? Never in a million years.

"No comment," Felicity said.

"This isn't an interview," Susan replied. "I'm here to help."

"I don't mean to be rude," Felicity said, "but Oliver really needs to understand the concept of _help_."

"Oliver didn't ask me," Susan replied. "Thea did."

"Thea?" Felicity couldn't have heard that correctly.

"Yes," Susan replied. "Her exact words were _we could really use help from a manipulative bitch_."

*

"And you helped anyway?" Felicity was shocked that Thea had been so blunt.

Susan shrugged. "I've been called worse things on Twitter," she said. "Daily. Plus Thea also said she wouldn't be able to do it herself..."

"What do you mean?" Felicity protested. "Thea's not manipulative."

"Not to you," Susan agreed. "But... the first interview I ever did was with Moira Queen. My article was horrible. _You said exactly what she wanted_ , my editor said. And then he assigned the story to someone else." Susan shook her head. It looked like admiration. "When Thea has her mother's experience.... watch out."

*

"So what is it that Thea can't do, but you can?" Felicity asked.

"I know people," Susan said. "I've been cultivating sources for years. My job is to find information... and it sounds like that's what you need. I've looked into the Palmer Tech board, but none of them even know about your..."

"Chip," Felicity supplied.

"Chip," Susan noted. "And nobody else has even a minor grudge against you, individually. But I don't know who might be angry with you for working with the Green Arrow." 

"Do you want the whole five years?" Felicity asked. "Or just the last month?"

* 

"Keep it recent," Susan suggested. "I'm already working connections who know about the Bratva. Who else?"

Felicity frowned. "You could ask John Diggle if he and Lyla have enemies," she said. "I helped them find their son. Well, I got other people to help." 

"What other people?" Susan said.

"Just a hacker friend," Felicity said, then paused. "A friend who asked me to hack the FBI."

"With friends like those..." Susan started.

"Right," Felicity said. "There is one person. But you won't ever find out anything about him."

"Sounds like a challenge." Susan smiled wickedly. "Name?"

"Cayden James," Felicity said. 

*

"That gives me something to go on," Susan said.

"Thank you," Felicity said. "But I still don't understand why you would help _me_."

Susan paused. "Because you don't like me," she said finally.

Felicity frowned. 

"Last year, you helped me get my job back," Susan said. "You didn't have to. But you did. And I don't think it was just because Oliver asked you."

Felicity shrugged.

"You don't even like me, but you helped me," Susan said. "This city needs people like that. Like Oliver. Like you." She shrugged. "I could never do that. But I appreciate people who do."


	68. Visitors, Take 3 (Felicity POV)

"Your mom called. Well, left a message." Oliver said from the other side of the glass. "She said to say _I told you so_."

"Thanks, Mom," Felicity grumbled.

"I'm looking for a lawyer," Oliver continued. "My mom's attorney said no – she doesn't have any expertise in 'tech stuff,' and she said she's done with Queen family crimes."

"That's ok," Felicity said. "Susan Williams is helping me find a lawyer."

Oliver looked confused. 

"Thea asked her to help," Felicity shrugged. "Susan's been... ok?"

Oliver nodded. "Thea said she was working on something. That must have been it." But he looked unconvinced.

*

Felicity didn't know the man on the other side of the glass, but she wasn't surprised to see him.

"I have a deal for you," he said. "All your charges will be dropped, if you agree to one thing." 

"What is it?" Felicity said. "I'm not a fan of orange jumpsuits."

"You need to work for us," he said.

"At a law firm?" Felicity frowned at him. "That's the weirdest plea bargain ever. Plus I don't know law."

"I forgot to introduce myself," he said. "Apologies. After all, I've already seen your face." He smiled. "My name is Cayden James."

*

Felicity glared at him. "No."

James smiled. "I expected you to say that. So let me tell you about the evidence against you."

"I picked up some kind of spyware when I hacked the FBI for you," she said. "Rookie mistake. I should have known better."

"Oh. That." James waved his hand dismissively. "I meant the evidence of your other work. With the Green Arrow."

"You don't have that," Felicity said. But her uncertainty probably showed.

"Don't worry. There's plenty of evidence – enough to put both of you away forever. And you won't be asked to testify against your husband."


	69. Leverage (Oliver POV)

"Is good of you to meet with me," Anatoly said. "Busy life you have now, Oliver. Mayor. _Kapuishon_. Husband. Father." 

"You said you had something for me, Anatoly," Oliver gritted out. "Something that could help Felicity."

"Yes, yes," Anatoly said, handing Oliver another shot of vodka. "But is complicated. Jury system you have in America is..." Anatoly shrugged. "Has strengths. Has weaknesses. But Bratva has learned to work with it."

"The jury won't be selected for a long time," Oliver said. "I'd prefer something quicker."

"Long time is good," Anatoly said. "Gives you time for your part of the deal."

*

Oliver listened to Anatoly's list of requests. It was long. And brutal. But that wasn't the only problem with it.

"There's a lot of uncertainty in a jury trial," Oliver said. "How can you guarantee an outcome?"

"You mean, Bratva is not League of Assassins." Anatoly shrugged. "Is just leverage, my friend."

"But you can't know that you'll have something on any person that they select," Oliver argued.

"Everyone has something," Anatoly replied. "Someone they love. Something they fear. You? Only learned about pain, on the island and afterwards." He filled another glass. "There are other ways. Many other ways."


	70. Options (Oliver POV)

"You're thinking of doing it," Felicity said. "Don't do it. Aside from the problem of working with the Bratva, _again_..." 

Oliver shrugged. "It's not like you're responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people," he said. "A jury might be sympathetic. But..." 

"No," Felicity said. "We can't even let this go to trial."

Oliver looked surprised. "But you didn't want to escape, or to get ARGUS involved in this..."

"I had a visitor," Felicity explained. "Cayden James. Helix has evidence that you are the Green Arrow. And the Hood, too. Every person you've killed – you'll be charged for them all."

* 

Oliver leaned back in his chair. "James isn't the first villain to know who I am." 

"But James isn't trying to hurt _you_ ," she said. "Or just destroy your city. This is different."

Oliver shook his head.

"Oliver, if I work for him... I can make the evidence disappear. POOF!" 

"No," Oliver said. "You can't do this."

"Like you can't work for the Bratva?" Felicity challenged.

"Yes," Oliver said. "Exactly."

"Oliver, Star City needs its mayor. AND the Green Arrow. You can't be charged with all the things that you did during your first year," Felicity said. "You just can't."


	71. Another Way (Oliver POV)

Only one part of Oliver's suit hadn't changed in the past four years.

He looked at the mask in his hands. Wearing it always reminded him to try to be the hero that Felicity had seen when she helped him put it on, that first time.

But it had come with a price. Roy's life, or at least his identity. Thea's love for Roy. More recently, Oliver's opportunity to be a father to William.

Now, Felicity's freedom. Maybe even her soul. 

Oliver sighed, straightened his tie, and tucked the mask into his pocket. It was time for the press conference.


	72. No Choice to Make (Oliver POV)

"Still not sure this was a good idea, boss," Rene said as he stepped aside to let Dinah snap the handcuffs closed.

"I agree with Rene," Dinah said, ducking slightly to avoid the cameras catching the historic moment when Star City's vigilante mayor was taken to jail. 

"There was no choice to make," Oliver said as Dinah dropped the green mask into the evidence bag.

The flashes were too bright to see who else was watching. Rene and Curtis would already be listening to John's warnings over the comms. At least the city would be in good hands without him. 

*

"I thought you had outgrown being an idiot," Thea said as she picked up the phone on the other side of the glass. "I was wrong."

"Thea," Oliver said. "You, of all people, should understand why I had to tell the truth this time. Nobody else is taking the fall for me. Not like Roy."

Thea shook her head. "You don't understand." She glanced around, then lowered her voice. "We had it handled, Ollie." 

"What?" Oliver shook his head. 

"The Bratva, Helix, everything. We had it handled." Thea sighed. "And you had to go and mess it up, didn't you?"

*

"Wait, who had it handled? You planned this with Felicity?" Thea and Felicity working together wasn't surprising, Oliver thought. But Felicity had seemed so determined.

"Me and... others," Thea avoided a direct answer. "Not Felicity. Look, you and your wife are absolutely adorable, but you are the world's most craptastic pair of liars. Which is why neither one of you was in the loop this time." 

"But you're going to talk to her now," Oliver said. "Right?"

"I would," Thea said, "but she was released early this morning. All charges against her have been dropped. Oliver, she's gone to Helix."


	73. Strategy (Lyla POV)

Lyla walked into the back room of the coffee shop and scanned it for listening devices. Thea was already there, nibbling on a scone.

Finally, Lyla was satisfied, but she still leaned in and spoke quietly. "I assume this wasn't your plan."

Thea rolled her eyes. "My idiot-in-love brother."

"And his wife," Lyla added. "My inside guy at Helix was found dead this morning." 

"At least they wiped the records about Oliver," Thea said. "I hope."

"Hopefully Felicity will be able to check on that," Lyla said. "But we don't have any way to get in contact with her now."

*

"What about Oliver?" Lyla asked. 

"Felicity's lawyer is going to defend him," Thea said. "Though he's not a fan of my brother. I don't know if it's personal or political."

Lyla nodded grimly. "But you can still work on the jury."

"It'll be tough," Thea said. "They're moving the trial to Hub City. Apparently everyone in Star City has an opinion about the mayor, the Green Arrow, or Oliver Queen."

"So what's left of the plan, then?" Lyla asked.

"The media?" Thea said. "Susan Williams is writing a puff piece about him."

"That's... horrifying," Lyla said.

"I know," Thea agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: I might end this without coming to any resolution.
> 
> I'm going to close down this fic when season 6 of Arrow begins. I don't know if it will be done. I'll probably just write random scenes that interest me, and explain the missing pieces in chapter notes.
> 
> Also, there's a decent chance that I'll stop watching Arrow after the S6 premiere. I'm not interested in Black Siren, I'm not interested in any weddings between any characters, and I was really happy that no major women characters died in season 5. (With the fates of Samantha, Nyssa, and Evelyn all unknown, odds are that won't be true in season 6.) (Seriously... from seasons 2 through 4 we lost Moira and Isabel and Sara, and I have to count Laurel even though I was happy to see her gone.) I'm interested in Diggle's conflict with Oliver, and I'm interested in a long and complex story involving Felicity and Helix. But I have heard minimal rumors about things that I'm interested in, and a lot of buzz about annoying stuff. So... we'll see.
> 
> I might shut this fic down with Oliver and Felicity permanently separated. We'll see. But don't ever expect anything resembling a happily-ever-after romantic resolution from me. I don't want to write stuff like that.


	74. (Pre-) Teen Titans (Susan POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Susan works in broadcast media. But I find newspapers more interesting and useful. So in this story, she writes.

Susan was putting the finishing touches on the second part of her profile of the Green Arrow when she felt the prick in her neck.

She awoke to a single bright lightbulb and two masked assailants. 

The assailants were kind of short.

And it looked like she was still in her apartment.

"Susan Williams," the boy said. It was clear that his voice hadn't changed yet, even through the modulator. "We need you to tell a story for us."

"The Green Arrow is a hero," the girl said. "Hub City needs to know that."

"I'm working on it," Susan replied.

*

"You need to tell them how he stops drug dealers," the boy said.

"And fights bullies," the girl added.

"And is actually a pretty good dad," the boy finished.

"I use anonymous sources, but not in stories like this," Susan said. "And I haven't quoted a kid since I was writing stories about the geography bee."

"So you won't help?" The girl brandished something. It looked like a throwing star made of folded paper.

"Like I said, I'm working on it," Susan said. "And I can't quote two kids in masks. But there is something else that you could do..."


	75. Robotics (Felicity POV)

There was something familiar about the Helix headquarters.

It wasn't a dingy basement filled with computer screens, like their space in Star City. It was bright, with white walls and an almost antiseptic cleanliness.

As if it were cleaned by robots.

Which wouldn't be strange, Felicity thought. Roombas were essentially cleaning robots, after all. But something about the place reminded her of loofas and manicures and John's robotic physical therapist.

But the work that they wanted her to do wasn't surprising at all. Hacking satellites and drones. Gathering international financial data. Biometric scanning of metahumans.

And the robots kept watching.


	76. Fake Vodka (Roy Harper POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang it. I forgot part of this chapter when I originally posted it.
> 
> Roy Harper, failure at being fake Bratva.

"You want me to fake a Russian accent," Roy said. "I can't even tell vodka labels apart. You know that."

"Fine," Thea replied. "But now that my idiot brother turned himself in, the real Bratva aren't going to believe that he did all the crappy things they wanted. And even though I could kick their asses to Mars, none of those jurors are going to be intimidated by me." 

"And you're Oliver's sister," Roy pointed out. "Hard to go undercover when you're on celebrity fashion shows."

"So you'll do it?" Thea asked. 

"You knew I would say yes," Roy replied.

*

"You are on jury, no?" Roy knew his accent sucked.

"Go away, kid," the old man said. "The paper boy was already here. I don't need another."

"Umm?"

"Two kids. Delivered the paper. Told them I wasn't supposed to read the paper, but they made sure the comics were there." The old man squinted at him. "Why don't superheroes wear capes any more?"

"Capes?" Roy said. "Umm. Because of _The Incredibles_?"

"That's what the kid said. Gave me a DVD and everything, but I can't get it to work."

And that's how Roy Harper became a Hub City DVD repairman.


	77. Tiny But Perfect (Felicity POV)

It took several days, but eventually, Felicity caught a cleaning robot.

They came out at night, like they were using motion detectors or light detectors or both to make sure everyone had left. So Felicity sat completely still, in the dark, until one crept around a corner. And then she grabbed it.

She had to hide under a desk with a flashlight. Fortunately, she still carried a little screwdriver for repairing her glasses, remembering that one time when they came apart in 3rd grade and she couldn't see for the entire day.

Finally, she got it open. 

It was amazing.

* 

Felicity was a huge fan of miniaturization. After all, her tiny battery and her chip allowed her to walk and run and feel Oliver's fingers sliding up her inner thigh.

The cleaning robot took that tech to the next level.

The sensors fed into essentially a tiny brain. The cleaning robot could vacuum, analyze keystroke data from every computer in the room, and collect DNA. It was the perfect melding of every invention developed by Palmer Tech, Kord Industries, and their competition.

It could be the key to fixing John's prosthetic arm. 

It also involved a lot of stolen patents.


	78. Trial (and Hopefully Not Error) (Thea POV)

The last witness took the stand.

It hadn't been bad, Thea thought. Lt. Pike, who had finally recovered enough from Chase's attack, had been a wildcard. But on the balance, he said some pretty nice things about Oliver. 

But after the jury went into deliberation, Lyla didn't seem quite as happy with it all.

"Have you heard anything from Felicity?" she asked. "She should be here." 

"Nothing," Thea said. "Did you have any luck infiltrating them again?" 

"None," Lyla said. "I'm flying blind. And I don't know what James is having Felicity do."

And then Felicity walked in the door.


	79. Why Girls Go to the Restroom in Groups (Lyla POV)

"I need to use the restroom," Felicity said.

Lyla and Thea both followed her.

Felicity glanced above the mirror. Lyla followed her eyes. Yes, there was a camera.

"I've got a problem with my nails," Felicity said. "Could you could help me?"

They were painted green. And, surprisingly for Felicity, they were artificial. She peeled one off.

"I never should have tried these things," she said. "Lyla, could you help me?"

She dropped one of the nails into Lyla's purse. Lyla glanced in. There was something odd about it. Lyla tapped it with her finger. Inside it was... a chip?

*

Lyla glanced at Felicity. Felicity nodded, then peeled off a second nail, then the rest, all into Lyla's purse.

Thea checked her lips while Lyla pulled out some mascara and re-did her lashes. Felicity ran a brush through her hair.

They returned to the courtroom. Nobody blinked at three women, freshly made up, returning from the restroom.

Lyla had no idea what she had been given, but she decided to avoid looking at it until she was someplace secure. 

And then, suddenly, the clerk entered. "All rise..."

Lyla looked at Thea and Felicity. The jury had already made their decision.


	80. Verdict (Oliver POV)

_Not guilty._

Despite his public admission and a bad Bratva imitation by Roy.

Oliver wasn't quite sure what had happened, but a little old lady on the jury had told him to _take care of that adorable boy_ (while running her hand along his bicep). And another juror nodded at him and said " _no capes!_ " And even Samantha had showed up to shake his hand, and promised to work out a joint custody agreement.

And then he looked up and saw Felicity walking towards him, and the rest of the world disappeared.

"Don't ever do that again," they whispered, simultaneously.


	81. Epilogue: Loose Ends

That was Too. Many. Drabbles.

This is not a form that lends itself to plot, or character development, or neat endings. It does, however, lend itself to the creation of plot holes through which one could fly a 747.

(Also, I never intended to write an entire fic – just a few 100-word images.)

So here's what else I think happens:

\- The chips that Felicity stole from Helix contain information that will allow Lyla to convict Cayden James (of stealing everyone's tech and doing something evil with it), but catching him will be more difficult. They also eventually allow Felicity and Curtis to make a good prosthetic arm for Diggle.

\- Thea now has a complex relationship with the Bratva that rivals Oliver's. Anatoly will not be pleased that she was double- and triple-crossing him to try to protect Oliver.

\- The Diggle family really deserved more story. I hope that Diggle's conflict with Oliver is long and complicated. David and Stephen are amazing actors; I would love to see them interacting but covering new ground. (I think the previous conflicts were resolved too quickly. But then, I enjoyed all the different ways that Oliver and Felicity were at odds in Season 5, too.) 

\- Quentin is alive, but was off on some boring story involving Black Siren, so I didn't write about him.

\- Nyssa and Evelyn are currently training with a group of Amazon-esque women. Someday, they will be re-discovered when they capture Slade Wilson and Lyla goes looking for him.

\- William passes 6th grade math and takes Zoe to the spring dance. He asks Oliver what to do, and Oliver admits that he actually did learn to dance, once upon a time. Felicity just watches and smiles.


End file.
